


Finders Keepers

by ElmireDolores (ElmiDol)



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Adult Situations, F/M, Minor religious themes due to fandom, Some sexist views, Vaginal Sex, Vulgar Language, cross-dressing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 11:16:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 83,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11758692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElmiDol/pseuds/ElmireDolores
Summary: You are (Y/n). You are also Julian. Confused? Let's just say that the Order does not allow females to be Finders. So, wanting the job because of its pay, you cross-dress. Your long-time friend, Tyki Mikk, isn't too pleased when he discovers what you've done.Tyki Mikk x Reader





	1. Secret Agent Man

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own DGM or any of its characters. 
> 
> This takes place before Tyki encounters Allen. Not exactly sure how long before or anything, but timeline wise, that’s how it goes. Secret Agent Man comes mostly due to a youtube video featuring that song and Tyki. It is awesome.
> 
> Reposting this from a different site; this fic is not edited so will likely have some errors.

Secret Agent Man

Blush never failed to rise to your covered cheeks at each instance of your forgetting to respond to the name ‘Julian’. The finders around you constantly yammered on and on in accusing tones of your apparent disregard of them; except for on the battlefield, you never outright listened for the name. At this point, on the train heading to a more familiar place--a place you would almost call home--you did not have to worry about such things. You were no longer in disguise as a man, your breasts no longer bound tightly under wraps upon wraps to keep your gender a secret; the Order would _never_ allow a female to be a finder if they could help it. Women, they believed, had certain weaknesses a male did not possess and were thus a hindrance to their cause.

You scoffed in secret at their misconceptions, and did your best to find the Innocence for them before akuma could destroy those God-given weapons. At times like this, however, when you were sitting on the train and lounging, you tried with your all to not think about such things. Vacation time was not often given for those working in the Order, and most often it meant still staying in the headquarters. You thanked all your lucky stars for not being an Exorcist--surely you would not possess such liberties as this if you were on a chain like they had. No, you were only a finder.

Smiling to yourself, you allowed your eyes to drift closed and crossed your arms over your stomach. It was going to be a long ride to your destination, hours. After the boat ride, you were ready for nearly anything. Having not been able to dress up as a woman in quite a long time, you had decided to wear a rather nice skirt, gorgeous top, and high heels. You had done all the works to pamper yourself for your trip, doing your hair and makeup as well. This had all resulted in your feeling quite content with yourself until your ass had been pinched by several brave, venturing, lecherous fingers.

You twirled a strand of your hair in your hands, staring at its short length. You had managed to grow it out to your shoulders this time--anything longer and you were not able to tie it up correctly to continue with your masculine masquerade while doing your job as a finder for the Black Order.

With a sigh that revealed how utterly relaxing this journey was for you, you opened your eyes once more and stared out the window. Trees and landscape passed by, scenery in constant motion. You could see the sparkling rim of the ocean just beyond the open areas surrounding the train tracks. You sighed once more, completely relaxed with the familiarity of the country. Aww, sweet Portugal. You had exactly one week to enjoy your home--your friends, whom you also considered family--before you would be obligated to make the return trip to the Order.

“Well, a week’s better than nothing,” you whispered to yourself, your smile widening as the ocean drifted into view then disappeared when the train took a right turn. It headed towards a tunnel, and you once again closed your eyes, ready to take a nap for the remainder of the trip.

**********

As the train arrived with a slight screech at the station, your eyelids fluttered open, and you raised your arms above your head in a stretch. In the following minute, you grabbed your bag from underneath your chair and slung its strap over your shoulder before proceeding towards the door. You wondered for just a moment, your hand gripping the handle, if Eeze was going to be there to greet you as he had said he would be. Another smile flickered across your face at the thought of your younger cousin; he could be so adorable and loyal. Really, he was a good kid in your book.

You slid open the door and stepped through, walking down the narrow aisle of the train until you could exit the locomotive. There were not many people getting off at this station; it was a small mining town--home to you, sure--and was one that did not pay host to many tourists. For you, that was just as well. This allowed you to spot your cousin quickly. 

Eeze stood a few feet from you, hands in the pockets of his coat and eyes blinking as they peered at you. You flashed him a smile, and knew without a doubt that underneath his mask he was returning it. You spread your arms wide, disregarding how your body slumped to one side under the weight of your bag, and waited as Eeze walked to you, wrapped his arms around your waist, and gave you a brief hug--a gesture you returned without hesitation. You squeezed him tightly, commenting on how much he had grown since the last time you had seen him.

“That was four months ago,” he reminded you in a whisper whilst attempting to pull out of your embrace. You scrunched up your nose and hugged him tighter for just a moment prior to obliging to his retreat.

Your cousin straightened his coat while Crack and Momo walked over to the two of you, each smiling and offering a greeting. You also grinned widely, cocked your head to the side and gave a quick nod.

“I’m home.”

“Welcome home,” the three voices chimed, blending together in a melody that warmed your heart. You felt somewhat guilty for having left them for the four month period, but knew all the same that it could not be helped. You all needed the money you made, a minute amount yet appreciated all the same. Another fact remained: they positively _refused_ to allow you to work at the mine with them. Every portion of you craved adventure, and none of the three argued with it.

On that note, you blinked and looked around. “Where’s Tyki? Skirt-chasing again? Or is he cheating some poor guy out of money?”

“Oh, come on, (y/n),” Momo said, laughing and taking your bag from you. You blushed lightly at the gesture. “He’s just on one of his missions again. You know, that secret stuff.”

You hummed in response, nodding. A large part of you remained curious as to what exactly the vagabond did on these “so-called” missions. Each and every time he came back with a gift for Eeze--and occasionally the rest of you as well--and he was also gone for weeks to months at a time. Not that you were in any position to complain or otherwise protest the man’s lifestyle.

Wrapping a single arm across your cousin’s shoulders, the four of you started to walk away from the platform. You watched the younger boy for some time. “Y’know,” you started, once more taking in how much he had grown, “it’s definitely a good thing you guys are here and not off working in another part of the country right now. Otherwise who knows how much longer it’d be before I got to see you again.” Eeze looked up at you, remaining silent. You did not expect him to respond verbally--he did not speak often.

Crack flashed you a toothy grin over his shoulder. “It’s a shame Tyki isn’t here, huh?”

You grumbled at that. “Geez, no. I mean, I miss him, but…”

“Aww, is (y/n) not over the fact that she lost to him in strip poker?” Momo asked, taunting.

“He was cheating! And I’ve never played before!” you shouted, shaking a fist at the two men who were laughing at your expense. Eeze took that time to reach up and hold the hand belonging to the arm draped along his shoulders. He gave it a quick squeeze and looked up at you. You returned the gaze and his smile; somehow, you always managed to know when he was smiling at you. “He’s been treating you good then?” Eeze nodded, and you sighed in mild defeat. “Well, that’s really all that matters then.” You patted your pocket, in which your full wallet resided and spoke up once more. “I say we go shopping for some food. Eeze and I are going to make a feast tonight to celebrate the fact that we’re together again!”

“Tyki’s really going to be upset he missed this,” was all the two men said before the four of you headed for the market.

***********

“I still cannot get over how tall you’ve gotten,” you remarked as you and Eeze minced the vegetables and poured the tiny pieces into the pan that stood on the stove. “Did you hit a sudden growth spurt or something?”

“Mm-hmm,” the boy said, dumping his full chopping board into the pan. His hand then reached out for the eggs, which he began to set into a pot full of water. Deviled eggs had sounded magnificent to you. “Last month. I grew four inches.”

“Well, holy crap.” You moved the skillet containing the sautéing vegetables onto the other burner, and then squatted partway to check the dimly lit interior of the oven through the small glass window. The bread you were making was rising just nicely. “You’re going to be taller than me in no time if you keep that up.”

“Tyki said so too,” Eeze answered. Your hand leaned against the surface of the oven’s door. You turned to your cousin, eyebrows raised. “He’s teaching me how to play poker like him, Momo, and Crack.”

“You’re starting to make me feel soooo guilty for leaving you behind,” you said in a minor whine, embracing your younger cousin. “It’s allowing Tyki the chance to corrupt you! You probably don’t even realize I’m gone, the amount of attention he pays to you.”

The fact that Eeze was smiling was clearly visible this time, his eyes squinting from the width of the grin. “He doesn’t read to me at night like you do, (y/n). I miss you when you’re not here.”

“Such a sweet, sweet kid,” you muttered to yourself, once more working on preparing dinner. Behind the pair of you, sitting at the table, Momo and Crack laughed as they played a game of Go-Fish with one another. “To think, you’re growing up so nicely here even without me to protect you from Tyki’s wayward ways..”

“Hey now, I’m not _that_ bad, (y/n),” an ever-familiar voice piped up from the doorway. You whipped your head around and saw the scraggily man with thick glasses. Despite all your previous statements, you smiled warmly at his presence. “Welcome home.”

“You too, Secret Agent Man.”

He groaned at the term of endearment you so often used upon his returns. “Please don’t call me that.” All the same, he did prefer that over the Earl’s favored ‘Tyki-pon’. You only cackled to yourself and resumed preparing your feast, which was by that time beginning to smell delicious.

Eeze walked over to Tyki when the man called him over and the two immediately fell into a whispered conversation you were unable to hear correctly. Not that you particularly cared at that point; you had food to attend to, to make sure did not burn. You pulled the bread out of the oven and set it onto the cooling rack. Afterwards you dumped shrimp into the pan of vegetables and started to add more spices. Simultaneous to your tasks, you did manage to overhear the exact moment when Tyki gave Eeze a present. The young boy thanked the man then ran off to his room to place whatever it was he had gotten with his collection.

Tyki walked over to the table and watched Momo and Crack’s game with mild interest; smelling the aroma coming from the small kitchen, he was eager for dinner to be ready. These homemade meals with Eeze and his friends, with you, were definitely his favorite.

He eyed your bag that was nestled on the ground across the room, staring through thick-frames at the name tag on the luggage. “Hmm.” He narrowed his gaze, thinking for a moment he was mistaken, and then turned his torso around in the chair, draping a single arm over its back. “(Y/n), did you grab the wrong suitcase?”

“Noooo. Why would you ask that?” you questioned, not turning around while you removed the food from the burners and set each dish into a serving container you could bring to the table.

Tyki spared another glance in the direction of the brown bag. “It says Julian.”

You flashed him a look, and allowed Momo to answer, as the man immediately piped up. “They don’t let women become Finders, Tyki. (Y/n) disguises herself as a man. She told us that was what she was going to do four months ago, remember?”

For a moment, a brief flash of a second, the grin dropped from Tyki’s face and his expression set into a deep frown. He regained his composure, this task aided greatly by Eeze’s re-entrance into the room. Tyki said nothing as he watched you and your younger cousin set the dishes onto the table. Momo and Crack removed the deck of cards from the area prior to scuttling over to get the dishes--old, and only slightly cracked from all their years of use--to set the table.

“Tyki, you bum, you could help, you know,” you said, placing the loaf of bread near the man. Standing back up, you noticed his glasses had slipped partway down his nose, and his brown eyes were staring at your face while a smile spread across his face. “What?”

“You shouldn’t put yourself in danger like that,” he said, still smiling warmly at you.

Your face flushed slightly and you moved to your chair. Tyki stood, walked around the table, and pulled out the seat for you. You thanked him, startled and still blushing ever deeper. As Eeze, Momo, and Crack sat as well, the four of you bowed your head in grace--only four, for Tyki never prayed, and you had grown accustomed to this from him. The man waited for the prayers to be finished, for the others to begin serving up their food before he continued.

“You could really get hurt.”

You shrugged. “I suppose the Akuma could get me, but they could do that all the same if I didn’t do my job.”

“Perhaps,” Tyki stated, starting to follow suite and serve up food for himself. “But being in the Order will attract more than just the Akuma to you, (y/n).”

“Huh?” Four sets of eyes were on Tyki. He just laughed it off and dismissed his comment. Hungry as you all were, you each allowed it to slip. The five of you were enjoying the meal, all thinking how good it tasted. Meanwhile, another thought floated into Tyki’s head: it could have been worse--you could have been an Exorcist. “Where do you always disappear to anyhow, S.A.M.?”

Or nosy…


	2. Whipped

Whipped

You laid on your stomach upon the bed, body stretched over its length and torso propped up by your elbows. Peering down at the book spread open in front of you, you did your best to maintain quiet in the room; Eeze was asleep on the bed diagonal from yours, the only other bed in the room. You spared a glance over at the furniture, deciding that you would join him soon--when Clark, Momo, and Tyki decided to go to bed, you would be forced to make room for them anyhow. Eeze had told you of their normal sleeping arrangements: Clark and Momo shared a bed, although oftentimes one of them was later found on the floor, and Tyki and Eeze reigned over the other, sleeping together in comfort provided mostly due to your younger cousin’s small size. _Not so small anymore though_ , you thought to yourself before turning your eyes back to the book.

No words left your lips as the door cracked open for just a moment, allowing more light to filter into the dimly lit room--lit only by the small candle you had placed on the tiny nightstand so that you could read--however, you sent a warning glance in the direction of the man standing in the doorway until he closed said entrance. Tyki crossed the room to where you were laying, once more reading, and sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight, causing your book to slide an inch to the right. You adjusted it, returning the object to its former position without much thought. Tyki, meanwhile, stretched out beside you, crossing his arms behind his head while laying down on his back. The two of you watched one another from the corner of your eyes, although did not address the other for quite some time. Your eyes scanned over five more pages of the book, fingers dancing across the distance between you and the bed to carefully turn the sheet when necessary.

You pulled away without thought or hesitance when Tyki reached up with a single hand, index finger and thumb seeking to touch your hair. The two of you stared at each other, saying nothing still. At last the man withdrew his hand, smiled a half-grin to himself and pushed himself into a sitting position. One hand supported his entire weight, settled halfway between his side and behind, and the other arm he draped over his right knee, which he raised. He knocked said limbs into you for a brief moment, demanding attention. You sighed and muttered to yourself, marking your place in the book before closing its pages. You followed his example afterwards and sat up, face to face with him.

For the first minute you waited for him to speak, to say something in regards to why he had thought it necessary to pull you from your studying. During those sixty seconds you thought of him as a bother, and then remembered how long you had known him--how he was like family, and reminded yourself, scolded yourself for being so rude, that he was _family_. Or close enough to it, ergo would always come first in your heart.

“What’s wrong?” you asked at last, figuring that you would have to make the first move. It was unusual; Tyki did not normally wait to be addressed before speaking. In fact, he could be outright rude at times, and you had in the past oftentimes scolded him for asking strangers if they were “some sort of a pussy” due to wanting to back out from a bet he had issued. Not that you could blame the other party--more often than not, Tyki was cheating while playing.

Tyki allowed one finger to travel up and down the length of your arm for a moment. You were shocked upon realizing that he was thinking out his words carefully. That was _not_ something the Tyki you knew did. You resisted the urge to feel his forehead, to check if he were running a fever.

He looked towards Eeze when the boy shifted in his sleep, and then returned his attention fully onto you after he was sure your younger cousin was not waking. “They’ve only trained you, right?” You blinked, brow furrowed and mouth parting in a slight question that would not quite leave your lips. “You have not been inside of the Order itself yet--they won’t let you until they know where your loyalties truly lie, when they can make sure you’re completely with them.”

“What are you getting at?” You were frowning. A large part of you did not want to argue with him, not after the slight disagreement the two of you had had at the dinner table when he outright refused to tell you where he always seemed to disappear to. It was a secret, he had said, and nothing he could tell you if he even wanted to. Nothing he _would_ tell you. At that point, your trust in him had wavered; you thought that perhaps he were living a double-life, this one and another in which he was some sort of lord or someone of importance. Why else would he not want to tell you? 

Tyki’s finger paused in its movements, his facial expression mirroring yours. He stared at you from behind the thick glasses he did not truly need. Watched as confusion and suspicion crossed over your features. The look in your eyes of utter mistrust disappointed him; he liked you, he really did. He was fond of you in the same way he was of your cousin, of Momo and Clark. You were not something he wanted to lose if he could help it.

“You don’t want me to return, do you? That’s what you’re saying?” There was a hint of frustration in your voice, mingled in with the understanding he knew you would possess. He was well aware that you knew he valued your safety. He had never made it a point to hide this fact. He nodded, stating once more how you were putting yourself in danger that he did not approve of. “Because you wouldn’t be there to protect me?”

A shudder ran through his frame, one that you did not miss. It unnerved you. The way it had occurred, had appeared--as though your long-time friend were holding back from saying or doing something. And what that something was, you were not able to tell. It scared the _shit_ out of you. You retreated back from him, leaning further towards the wall so where no part of you touched him.

Tyki had literally bit his tongue at your statement, forcefully holding back the revelation that chances were he _would_ be there. Although, as you had stated, it would _not_ be to protect you. It would be to take the Innocence you would be searching for and to _kill_ you. While your determination and loyalty were one reason he had grown so fond of you, it was just then becoming quite a nuisance.

“Tyki, I’m going to bed,” you said at last, your hands continuing to tremble in slight fear as you grabbed your book and scooted off the bed. He watched you, saying nothing although nodding. “Goodnight.”

That having been said, you discarded your book onto the floor beside the bed Eeze was sleeping on. You stared at your younger cousin for a moment, noting how peaceful he looked, and then whispered a silent hope that you would not awaken him when you climbed under the covers. Things seemed to go your way this time. In the background you heard Tyki blow out the candle and cross the room as well. You stiffened as the blanket lifted somewhat, and his weight caused the bed to dip. You continued to hold your breath as he climbed under the covers and laid down on his side, facing you. 

“What are you doing?” you whispered, staring at him as though he had grown two heads. You were a lady, for Pete’s sake! You did not climb into bed with men like this, and likewise they did not climb into bed with you. That was not proper. In the past, Tyki, Momo, and Clark had always rotated sleeping on the floor so that you and Eeze were sure to get one of the beds to share.

“What’s wrong, Jules?” Tyki asked, smirking slightly as he removed his glasses and placed them on the floor behind him, right atop your book. You frowned at the name, repeated it, and shook your head. “Come on, _Julian_ , you’re a big boy, right?”

“Ty. Ki. Mikk.” You hissed out his name a syllable at a time, warning him that if he did not desist in these actions, you were sure to… what, exactly, you were not positive. You knew all the same that it would not be pleasant for him. He did not budge an inch. At last you huffed and shifted, ever careful to not bump into Eeze. “Fine,” you whispered, giving a half-hearted glare, “I’ll go sleep on the floor.”

Tyki frowned. “Already distancing yourself from us?”

A large part of you wanted to rip out your own hair, however you managed to swallow down that urge. You hated it when any of your friends played the guilt card on you. Now more than ever it truly hurt, sent a pang of self-loathing into your heart. You had been the one to go off to become a finder, even though the three men and Eeze had insisted that they could take care of you. You had been the one to distance yourself from them, even if it was temporary--and it was not as though you wanted to leave them. Instead of pulling out your hair, you buried your face into the man’s chest and told him to shut up. His chest vibrated with his quiet, almost silent, laughter. One arm wrapped around your waist, holding you in place, and its hand rubbed your lower back. You felt yourself getting lulled to sleep, and so pulled away from him slightly. You lifted your chin and peered up at his face.

“I don’t see why it is you can go off--and we aren’t supposed to complain about that--for any amount of time, and yet I can’t--”

“(Y/n),” he said sharply. You could both hear and sense the agitation in that single word, and your mouth snapped shut. “We all miss you a lot when you’re gone. We’re always worrying about if you’re getting hurt or not.”

You settled against the pillow with a sigh. “Tyki, on these missions…” You paused, feeling his entire body tense and seeing his teeth grit together tightly. “…do you meet women ever?” He relaxed once more and rolled onto his back. He was squished against you, and you against Eeze. A sensation of claustrophobia threatened to overwhelm.

“Goodnight, (y/n),” he said quietly. You frowned and rolled onto your side, facing away from him.

**********

In the morning you woke to find that the room had been vacated by your four favorite males. You stretched, yawning, and felt your eyes water at the sensation of both. Wiping away the tears with both hands, you then stood from the bed. You dragged your bag out from underneath the piece of furniture, got out fresh clothes, and dressed yourself before joining the four in the next room. The three older men were laughing at one another’s expense, each one missing certain articles of clothing. Eeze sat in a forth chair and watched the trio.

Quirking an eyebrow and cocking your head to the side, you said, “Isn’t it a little early to be playing strip poker?”

“Aww, come on, (y/n),” Momo said, meanwhile Clark insisted: “Only for pussies. You aren’t a pussy, are you, (y/n)?”

You scowled at Clark, opening your mouth with a ready response when Momo once more chimed in. “Hey, she’s a girl. It’s okay if she’s a pussy.” And the three men burst into laughter. You fought the urge to strangle them all.

You looked at Eeze, well aware he was grinning under his mask, and shook your head. “To think I left you alone with these guys.”

“Oi, oi, he’s a big boy,” Tyki said, placing a slight emphasis on the last two words. You were briefly reminded of the manner in which he had teased you the previous night.

“It’s not _him_ I’m worried about in that sense,” you said through your teeth. “At least he acts like a ‘big boy’.”

Tyki flashed you a wide grin, and his next comment almost had you lunging over the table to strangle him. “I can be a big boy for you too, (y/n)~”

Wringing your hands, you took several deep breaths while all four of the males got over their latest bout of laughter. “This is what I get for living with four _boys_.” You grabbed an apple off the ledge, shot a glance in their direction, and headed for the door. “I’m going for a walk. You’re welcome to join me, Eeze. Tyki, Clark, Momo--especially you, Tyki--don’t even bother.”

An echoing ‘awww’ of disappointment sounded from the three of them. You smiled to yourself at that just as the door clicked shut behind you. Slowly you started the walk towards the nearby beach, a favored place of yours to relax and clear your head; all in all, you had to think. You had not gone a yard when the door to your home opened and shut once more, Eeze moving at a brisk pace to arrive at your side. Immediately the pair of you held hands, partly due to your affection towards him, and also because of his age. The two of you walked in silence towards the beach.

Arriving there fifteen minutes later, you finally barked out a laugh; how you had missed this scenery when you were training to work in the Order. As Tyki had stated, you had not yet been to the main headquarters--you still had another month of training and evaluation before that--however you had been on several minor missions, none of which had set you up in a location with such an ocean view. The word ‘beautiful’ escaped you more than once.

Eeze loyally followed your skipping self, occasionally collecting shells that were uncommon to the beach; he knew you had a shell collection, and more often than not helped to attribute to its size. You stumbled over a small sandbank whilst skipping, almost fell flat on your face, but caught yourself and continued on with your frolicking. It was nice to not have to worry about an akuma suddenly attacking you because you just so happened to be looking for the same item it was. Sandcastle building aside--an urge you would entertain in a short while--you felt like a little kid once again. The freedom to do whatever you pleased without consequence, without having to worry about anyone discovering your gender, was ideal to you; not that you wanted to leave the Order--the adventuring aspect of it was also quite delightful in your honest opinion. This ultimately left you confused, and Tyki’s attitude in regards to your situation was not helpful in the least.

At last you hunched over in front of a mound of sand and began carefully to mold it into a more architectural shape. Without the present of any water, the sand mostly rolled down the sides, however you had started your castle too far from the shore to easy bring handfuls of water to where you would need them. You shrugged to yourself and peered at the ocean over your shoulder. Sunlight was sparkling off the waters, glittering in a way that would almost blind you if you continued to stare at any single spot. At the same time, the ocean looked inviting, the waves moving in undulations as if beckoning you to ‘come hither’, and a large part of you knew you _had_ to obey.

You twirled, kicked off your socks and shoes, and made a beeline for the water. Eeze copied your actions, setting the shells he had collected right beside his shoes. The two of you splashed one another with the water from the oncoming waves, laughing gleefully. It was refreshing, the crisp coolness of the ocean. You spun around, arms extended, and mimicked a tornado for a moment before abruptly stopping. The world around you continued to spin, and you laughed once more at the vertigo it caused you.

Eeze sent another torpedo of water in your direction, effectively nailing you in your gut. You gasped in mock surprise and moved to counterattack. He, however, leaped out of the water, heading in a run towards the left. You looked over your shoulder when Eeze passed you at his destination; there stood Tyki. You frowned for a moment, then stiffened.

“What’s wrong, (y/n)?” the vagabond asked, cocking his head to the side and alternating his attention between you and the shells your younger cousin was showing him. “You look--that one’s pretty--worried.”

You stood rooted to the spot, eyes roaming over every portion on the man’s face to check for hints of his reaction. “I was… Did you get another mission already, Tyki?” His hand froze in place, fingers in the process of flipping over one of the shells Eeze had cupped in his hands. Tyki looked over at you, face torn between a grin and a frown. The former at last won out. Your heart sank. “You did…didn‘t you?”

You saw Tyki wink at Eeze, pat the boy’s head, and walk towards you. He slipped off his shoes on the way, carefully rolled up his pants so they were halfway between his knee and ankle, and joined you in the water. He rested his hands inside his pockets, grinning. You lowered your gaze to the water that continued to leap up to bite your ankles then recede back to the greater portion of the ocean. “No.” You blinked, not sure whether to laugh, glare at him, or do a mixture of the two. “I just came to say…y’know, happy birthday, (y/n).”

“What?” Your eyes were wide, and you tried to recall what the day was. Your gaze flickered to Eeze, who nodded and smiled under his mask. “How the hell could I forget my own birthday!?” Your hands were in your hair, threading through the strands and entwining together. This was unprecedented by you! You _never_ forgot a birthday. Never!

Tyki’s face was directly in front of yours. You could feel his breath on your face, smell and taste the aroma, a mixture of cheap cigarettes, smoke and dust from the mine, and a musky mint smell that was all his own. Your eyes wandered along the surfaces of his face, lingering on the stubble that seemed to be ever-present.

At last you dropped the hands from your head, raised a single brow, and said once more, this time more calmly and for a different reason, “What?”

His grin broadened. Tyki rubbed his chin with a single hand and stared at you for a moment, saying nothing. Then: “Well, I couldn’t figure out what to get you this year.” You flushed, and muttered out that he did not have to get you anything. “Aw, come on, (y/n), you’re always cooking and cleaning for us~”

“So?” You were not sure where he was going with this, and you did not have an entirely good feeling about the direction it was headed. “Just being able to hang out with you guys is enough, I promise.”

Once more, he rubbed his chin, looking skyward. “I don’t know. You deserve something special~”

The blush on your face deepened; you were more than used to being on the receiving end of flirting from Tyki, Momo, and Clark all due to living with them for so long. It was always done in a playful manner, and you never took any of what they said serious. This time, however, it felt as though Tyki were genuinely flirting with you. And you were at a loss for what to say. 

You felt awkward; Tyki was _family_ , you reminded yourself. This was all just playful banter on his part, the normal teasing Tyki did. Right?

Those thoughts all came tumbling down when he leaned forward and pecked you on the cheek. It was fast, done and over with before you could even blink. Tyki rose with a murmured ‘there’, and your hand flew to where his lips had touched your flesh. Your fingers remained glued to the spot, your eyes wide. The man started his trip back to Eeze’s side, and you could only stare after him, too frozen in shock to say anything. And then it hit you. Like a ton of bricks.

“Did you _bet_ Clark and Momo that you could kiss me?” Oh, you were absolutely seething at the prospect of any such intentions, as they were not in any manner noble or sincere. Not that you expected much from your beloved band of miscreants, however they had always held your position as a lady with respect, and had _never_ done anything to threaten what was proper. “What kind of a woman do you take me for, Tyki Mikk?”

With that, you rushed after him, catapulting yourself from the water onto the sandbank and running up the beach to catch the quickly retreating vagabond. Eeze followed the pair of you at a slightly slower pace, careful to not let any of his shells break; they were, after all, going to be your birthday present from him. He observed you tackling Tyki, wrapping your arms around his neck and legs around his midsection from behind so that the two of you fell to the ground. You, of course, were cushioned by his body, whereas he received a mouthful of sand. Before you could so much as give him a single kick in retaliation for jeopardizing your good name, Tyki flipped you onto your back and pinned you against he sand. He grinned down at you, a grin that you thought to be just slightly too wide for a normal human.

Eeze’s voice brought Tyki’s good sense to him, and the grin upon his face dropped into something more natural for a human. Your younger cousin squatted down at your sides. Tyki and you looked at the boy, all three of you smiling.

“Eeze, you don’t want your cousin to leave, do you?” Tyki asked. 

Your smile dropped and you smacked the man’s shoulder half-playfully, half-serious and gave him a stern look. “None of that. Not on my birthday at least.”

Laughing, he obliged to your request and dropped the subject. “Alright, alright. Here, birthday queen, giving orders already. Should I carry you home?”

“Why are you teasing me so much, hmm?” you asked, smiling despite your minor frustration with the man.

He pushed himself off the ground then held out his hand for you to grab it. You accepted the offer, allowed him to hoist you onto your feet, and mumbled a quick thank you while brushing sand off your butt. Simultaneous to doing the same, Tyki said, “Have to make up for the four months you were gone, (y/n)~” You shook your head at his answer, the corners of your lips twitching upwards.

Once you were positive you had rid yourself of the filth on your body, you turned to Eeze, “Do _not_ let him corrupt you. _Ever_.” Tyki muttered in protest, the three of you starting your walk home. Clark and Momo were waiting for you to get back, Tyki told you, so that you could all eat the small cake everyone had saved up for. Your heart swelled with love at those words; cheats and scam artists they may be, but you absolutely adored them. Tyki held onto Eeze’s hand while you skipped a few steps ahead of them; you had quite the bounce in your step, the Noah noted. Seeing you this way only strengthened his determination to keep you out of his black side’s world. You turned around, facing the pair and walking backwards, and said, “Hurry, hurry. I can’t believe you let me wander off it you were planning this! You should have said something.”

“(Y/n),” Eeze started, his eyes blinking, “I still had to get you a present.” He held up the shells to emphasize his point. You smiled warmly at him and held out your arms, not stopping in your movements, and waited for him to run to you. He jumped into your arms after having handed your birthday present to Tyki to hold. You hugged the boy tightly.

“If I _ever_ have kids, I hope to God they’re as good as you.” Because, you added in your mind, you _really_ hated rude children. Half the time when you encountered one, you wanted to string them up to a tree by their toes--not that you ever did, that would be wrong.

Tyki caught up to the pair of you just a block from your home; you had by then set Eeze down on the ground once more and held his hand while walking. You looked up at the man, and blushed lightly when you noticed he was staring down at you. You adverted your gaze immediately. _Why is he acting so strange?_ you asked yourself. While the three men had always managed to look out for you in terms of anything that would physically harm you, they had never been what you would call overprotective. Something Tyki was borderline accomplishing.

Three houses down from where Clark and Momo were waiting for you, Tyki at last asked: “Why’d you choose Julian as your name for the Order, huh?” He sounded genuinely interested, and so you did not admonish him for once more bringing up the subject of your new profession.

“Well, I was going to steal my nickname for you--you know, Sam--but I figured you would take anything I put that name on, stating that it was by right yours.”

“You wound me,” he said, placing a hand over his heart and pulling an expression of mock-hurt.

“Psya. Sure, I believe you, Tyki, I believe you. Anyways, on the train ride up there, I heard someone shouting for a kid by the name of Julian, so I decided it was fate.” Tyki smiled at the last word; he quite enjoyed the idea of fate and destiny. 

The three of you entered the building, and Clark and Momo looked up from their card game to yell ‘surprise’ and ‘happy birthday’. Your cake, you noted, was situated between them, a small stack of plates and forks beside it. Once more your heart swelled with warmth. “Aww, guys. You sure know how to treat a woman!”

“Only ‘cuz you’re _our_ woman, (y/n),” Clark said. You mentally gave him bonus points for that, and then deducted some when he continued with, “Now, which one of us are you going to marry?”

Regardless of those bonus points, your smile did not waver in the least, and you gave each man a quick hug. Tyki held out his arms and you stared at him, blinking. “What?” He scoffed, while Clark, Momo, and Eeze all laughed. Rolling your eyes, you extended your arms and sighed. “Fine, fine. You can have a quick hug too. Not that you deserve one, after what you did to me on the beach.”

You heard Clark and Momo mumbling something about how they owed Tyki money then. Mentally, you deducted points from Tyki’s already negative score. In the same breath, you gave him a brief hug. He returned the gesture, arms wrapping around your midsection and squeezing. You gasped out, feeling the breath knocked out of you for a moment as he held you very tightly, and then he released you. Eeze had taken that time to seat himself at the table, and was staring hungrily at the cake. You joined him, Tyki following suite a few seconds later.

Momo cut the cake into six pieces--it was, after all, much easier than slicing into an uneven five--and set five pieces onto plates. You each took your plates. Tyki set his down in front of him and waited patiently, which you found weird; that was _so_ unTykilike. You shrugged to yourself and held your plate, prepared to take a bite when--

“Tyki Mikk,” you hissed, face full of cake. “I am sooooo, soooo going to _kill_ you. Slowly and painfully.” The three men laughed, at your cake-filled face and words both, meanwhile Eeze said, very innocently, that it was fine because there was still a sixth piece of cake for you.

“Not hug me~?” the vagabond asked innocently, acting as though he had done nothing wrong while he made sure to serve you up a new piece of cake. You did not trust him completely, wondering if he was planning on shoving that slice into your face as well.

You started to wipe the sweet treat from off your face, brushing the crumbs onto your plate, and shook your head. “Yeah, with my hands around your neck.” Tyki smirked and leaned forward, you held up a hand. Your palm was against his forehead, keeping him several inches away from close proximity of the cake smashed into your being; his tongue had slipped out of his mouth and was reaching for the sweet. “Inappropriate, Tyki, very inappropriate.”

Momo and Clark nodded in agreement. Instead of completely agreeing with you, however, they insisted that Tyki could not lick the cake off of your face because there was not enough for each of them to do the same. You shook your head, once more muttering that this was what you deserved for living with a bunch of boys. The three men made sounds of protest, whereas Eeze, who was busy eating his piece of cake, laughed. 

You pointed around the table to three men, finger remaining on Tyki as you looked at your younger cousin and said, “You see this? Don’t ever do this. Women do _not_ like this.”

“Don’t lie to him, (y/n),” Tyki said, a coy smile crossing his features as he pulled back and settled into his chair. He plucked his fork off the table and bit its prongs into his cake, raising the bite to his lips. “You know you like it~”

**_Splat_ **

Tyki blinked, his face covered in the cake you had thrown at him. He smiled at you, set down his fork, and took the knife that was lying beside the empty cake container. Once he had cut his cake slice in half, he put one of the portions onto your plate. You blushed at the gesture. Since when had Tyki gotten such manners?

“Hmm. You should go on those missions more often,” you commented, picking up your fork just as Tyki at last took a bite of his cake. “You’re starting to develop good manners, S.A.M. I take it all those women you meet while you’re away are training you well.”

He scowled at the final statement from you, more-so when you used the term ‘training’. You flashed him a toothy grin and then started to eat your birthday cake. Eventually, you knew, both you and Tyki would be fighting over the only small mirror you had in the home to finish wiping the cake off of your faces. For now, you just wanted to enjoy the slice you still had.

“What are you saying, (y/n)?” the vagabond asked, polishing off the final bit of his slice.

You swallowed the food that was in your mouth and looked pointedly at him. “Tyki, I’m saying you’re on your way to being whipped.”

“What’s that?” Momo said, looking up from his empty plate and joining in the conversation.

Clark looked at him, and gestured between yourself and Tyki with the hand that was holding his fork. “(Y/n)’s saying she’s going to whip Tyki.” Your face flushed several shades of red; Tyki smiled devilishly. It figured the guys would stick together on this, and you would be the one left embarrassed and with wounded pride.

Momo pouted. “Aww. I’m jealous. You can whip me too, (y/n).”

“Oi, oi, I’ve got dibs~” Tyki insisted. Eeze blinked, and you were thankful he was unaware of the complete meaning in regards to the current topic. For how much longer this would ring true, you could not say. “Don’t worry about being gentle either, hon, I’m a _big_ boy, so I can take it~” If there was any more cake left, you would have once again chucked it at the vagabond. As it was, you were left unarmed and the target of the four male’s laughter. You smiled and released a small chuckle of your own, joining in with their mirth a few seconds later. This was a good birthday already--and it was only afternoon.


	3. Birthday Gifts

Birthday Gifts

Tyki had at last relinquished the bathroom mirror to you after deciding that he would instead be using the shower to wash the cake off of his face. This, you well knew, was only to rile you up. As well as to make you incredibly uncomfortable, some form of revenge the man had no doubt thought up whilst the two of you had been pushing one another to get in front of the reflective surface. Tyki dropped his trousers onto the floor, his shirt soon following. In a short matter on time, the man was dressed only in his boxers. At that point, he climbed into the stall and turned on the water. The spray hit his face and immediately brushed away the bits and pieces of cake. You, meanwhile, were still furiously scrubbing where the cake and frosting had dried. Your face was red due to your ministrations, as well as the sight of Tyki clay only in ~~wet~~ underwear.

You could not stop your wandering eyes as they constantly switched their attention between your reflection and ogling Tyki’s well-toned body. A string of curses flooded your brain; they grew in number and ferocity when you noticed the corner of Tyki’s mouth twitch upwards into a smirk. Thoroughly embarrassed, you growled out a nonsensical word—some combination of ‘pervert’ and ‘jerk’ that resulted in a ‘jevert!’—that had Tyki blinking before laughing loudly, and you stormed out of the tiny bathroom, stating that you would wash up after he was finished.

Clark, Momo, and Eeze all looked up from their positions around the meager home to stare at you. You, however, ignored their stares and moved to help them with the cleaning. You grumbled to yourself as you cleaned the area you had designated yourself. How dare Tyki mock you in _your_ home—not that he did not do his part to pay the rent and utilities too. You erased that final portion of logic from your mind, choosing to ignore it for the time being. The five of you had only decided to choose your home as main residence due to the fact that the others had started off being the travelers of the ‘family’. Also, your home required less upkeep than the ones they had previously owned, and Momo’s home had been lost before you had all met anyhow.

You glanced towards your beloved cousin, and silently swore that this was all somehow his fault. If only Eeze had not found the group of three and basically taken them in; if only he hadn’t been so adorable when imploring that you ‘adopt’ the trio. He had only recently been orphaned and was longing for male companionship. You, being the sucker you were for your younger cousin, could not refuse him. Not that you hadn’t grown attached to the three men within a sort manner of time as well, but you weren’t going to admit that.

Sighing, you shrugged off the memory of Eeze’s cuteness and dumped the trash you had collected into the small bin. Really, it was only a small mess the five of you had made during the course of the day; the majority of what you four were picking up had been trash collected over the previous week prior to your arrival. You had grown accustomed to this messy behavior from the four over the years, and so you did not even comment on the issue.

You heard the water stop, and lifted your head to peer towards the bathroom. Your gaze then slid about the room. At that point you noticed that the place was nearly spotless—you decided to ignore the dust that had gathered in various nooks and crannies. Nodding to yourself, you replaced the small trash bin you had previously picked up to its normal spot.

When your eyes slid over to the bathroom door the next time, you saw Tyki standing there. He was fully clothed—or, at least, mostly clothed. Your attention landed on the wet cloth in his hands. You felt your face grow hot, and knew that you had probably turned a few shades of red.

“Tyki…go put some underwear on.”

He ruffled his wet hair with his free hand, looked down at himself, and asked, “You can’t tell, can you?” As though to emphasize his point, although also—you well knew—to mess with you, he tugged the material of his pants back slightly. 

You turned your gaze away, covering your face, and grumbled to yourself.

Tyki, meanwhile, walked into the room you all shared, and you imaged at that point he was in the process of obliging to your request. Clark, Momo, and Eeze were whispering off to the side, which caused you to drop your hands to your sides and look at them. Clark just flashed you a smile then leaned his head back into the makeshift huddle. You felt yourself growing somewhat uncomfortable; a large part of you wanted to know what they were saying, however it went against your beliefs to invade their privacy.

Momo was first to break off from the group, and he headed towards the bedroom as well. You blinked once then looked down at Eeze, who had walked over to you. He stared up into your eyes, and you returned the gaze. After a second or two of this, he smiled and said, “You have to go sit at the table so we can give you your presents.” Immediately following giving these instructions, he too moved towards the bedroom. Clark was not long after him.

Sighing slightly to yourself and with a smile wrapping itself about your face, you decided to obey Eeze’s demands. You sat in your preferred seat, and were quite happy to see that no cake remained on its surface. While the three men and your cousin were in the other room, you made a mental note that you would have to do something extra special before you left; they really knew how to treat you well.

Tyki was the first to emerge from the room. He sent you a quick, lopsided grin prior to heading towards the small kitchen. Once there, he pulled out a washcloth, dampened it with water, and at last walked to your side. You held up your hand, thinking he was offering the material to you to wash your face, and released a funny sounding gasp, which was muffled by the cloth, when Tyki proceeded to scrub your face for you. Before you could so much as make any words of protest, he brought up the valid point that you would not be able to see if all the cake was removed. So there you sat, allowing the vagabond to wipe away the cake he had smashed into your face in the first place.

When he pulled away the cloth at long last, you noticed that he was still grinning to himself. You cocked your head to the side, eyes roaming about his face as you searched for any hints pertaining to what he was planning—he just _had_ to be up to something. “What?” That single syllable left your mouth, and your response was a sigh from the man. He offered a pathetic pout and muttered on and on about how you just didn’t trust him. You placed your hands on your hips. “It’s sorta hard to trust you after you smashed cake into my face, and then you basically stripped down like that! It was so….so…”

“You weren’t really complaining.” Your mouth, hanging open as you continued to figure out what he was ‘so’, snapped shut. You stared at him in a way quite similar to how a mother may look at her child after said offspring has broken a vase. “I’m not up to anything this time, (y/n), I’m not.” He was waving his hands in front of himself defensively. “Scout’s honor.”

“Tyki, you’re not a scout. You never were a scout. You can’t use that.”

His face twisted into a mischievous grin. “Maybe that’s where I go off to all the time, hmm?”

“To be…a scout?” You stared at him skeptically.

Tyki nodded just once before shrugging it off. “What do _you_ think I do?”

You blinked. Once, twice, a total of six times before glancing off the side as you spoke. “Honestly? I thought…that you…well, you know, that you’re like…secretly…a male escort or something…” Your eyes wandered back to his face for but a moment before flying once again towards the far wall upon seeing his shocked expression. Your face was flushed red, and you were twiddling your toes. “I mean, because… It makes sense since you’re always getting _called_ away. Then you come back with expensive things.”

An awkward silence fell between the two of you. The noises from the other three scurrying around and digging through the bedroom were easily heard. You were too embarrassed to say anything more, and Tyki was far too baffled. He did, however, manage to compose himself enough to move to the chair across from yours, and there he sat. You began to fiddle with the hem of your shirt and looked up only once you heard the bedroom door open. Clark, Momo, and Eeze all joined you; each one carried a meagerly wrapped bundle, a fact that made your heart beat quicker with joy and love. A large part of you felt like leaping out of your seat and hugging each of them; you knew damn well they had to have given up certain habits temporarily to afford your gifts—that, or they managed to get _very_ lucky at some poker games. Money was tight, plain and simple.

Eeze immediately took the seat to your right. Clark and Momo shoved against one another for a moment, arguing over which would sit to your left. Deciding to be the one to end their argument. Tyki shifted over to that chair. A chorus of ‘Tyki!’ rang out from all of you, minus Eeze, who only grinned under his mask at the man. The boy always was partial to the dark-haired vagabond.

Clark, whilst adjusting his cap with his free hand, seated himself in the chair closest to Eeze. Momo sat between Clark and Tyki, and found himself almost directly across from you. Thus the blonde-haired male did not complain in the least.

You tucked a few strands of hair behind your ear, and watched as Eeze leaned forward. He pushed the small bag he was holding towards you. You smiled at him, meanwhile allowing your hands to dip into the gift bag. You peered over the rim at the various shells, your eyes stopping on a small box that laid in the dead center. You wrapped your fingers around the small container, lifted, and brought it out before you. Simultaneous to this, you found yourself continuously blinking. The small box, you realized, was black and something normally found in a jewelry store.

“I didn’t steal it,” Eeze blurted out before you were even given a chance to open the box. Your gaze flickered to your cousin then back to the container. “I paid for it…with some of the silver Tyki got me.”

You swallowed the thick amount of saliva that had gathered in your mouth. Slowly, your fingers pried the lid open, and your mouth opened just slightly as you stared at the tiny diamond that hung from the silver chain.

About leaping out of your chair, you grabbed Eeze and embraced him in a tight hug. He did what he could to return the gesture, his arms having been pinned to his sides by your grasp. You ignored the tiny noises of protest he made when you kissed the top of his head.

When at last you let your cousin free, you watched him out of the corner of your eyes as he brushed the spot on his head you had kissed. At the same time, you lifted the necklace out of the box and put it on.

You ran your fingers along the small diamond a few times, a large grin plastered on your face. Momo and Clark took this time to slide a small gift across the table together. You blinked, and your heart skipped several beats when they muttered in unison, “This goes with it.”

“That one they stole,” Tyki chimed in. You punched him half-heartedly on the arm while Clark and Momo each sent a glare in the man’s direction. The vagabond held up his hands. “Just kidding.”

You tore away the wrapping paper slowly, carefully, and made sure that it would be able to be reused in the future—that was an agreement you all had to save on money for gifts; every one of you saved the wrapping paper. You set it off to the side, and ran your fingers over the black box that was underneath. This one was just slightly smaller than the previous. You swallowed hard again, fought back the tears of appreciation, and opened the case, whose hinges gave a tiny squeak. The earrings stared up at you, perfect matches to the pendant on your neck.

“How did you guys afford this all?” you asked, voice thick.

“You’re not supposed to ask that!” Clark and Momo scolded you together, both of them laughing. You sputtered out a few ‘buts’, and so they decided to oblige somewhat. Momo shrugged. “We got lucky with some poker games…and Clark got a cash reward for saving some lady’s puppy while we were on a train.”

“A…puppy?” You grinned widely at the thought of Clark running after and saving a woman’s little dog. “That’s so sweet.” Clark blushed lightly at your words then smirked. You put on the earrings seconds before he pushed forward the other gift he was holding.

Following the same pattern you did with the previous gift, you set aside the wrapping paper and held the deck of cards in your hands. “Comes with three free poker lessons,” Clark told you, and you could not keep back the laughter. “And, unlike Tyki, I won’t cheat during them.”

“Hey!” Tyki protested, although he grinned.

Momo pushed his bundle toward the center of the table; your hands met the gift halfway, and you pulled it closer. Your grin widened even further. He had gotten you a vase, which was something of yours that had been destroyed not long before your previous departure—right after Tyki had beaten you for the final time in poker, you had thrown your older vase at his head. That, however, had not gone so well, and instead it had crashed into the wall. “It’s beautiful,” you told him. “Thank you guys…all of you…”

You realized then that Clark, Momo, and Eeze were all staring at Tyki. You blinked and looked towards the vagabond as well. He had his chin cupped in a single hand and was watching you. You shifted in your seat a bit, suddenly uncomfortable. 

“What?” Your eyes flickered across each of their faces; Clark and Momo looked to be in suspense, almost as though they _knew_ what Tyki had gotten you. Eeze, meanwhile, seemed to be very curious, and so you figured he had no idea what the gift was. You looked back at Tyki, who was staring at your form the same position and smirking slightly. “Do I _want_ to know what you got me?”

“What do you _think_ I got you?”

“Uhm…I don’t know…what would a male escort get a girl? Fancy underwear?” You wondered aloud, not noticing that Eeze was listening intently to your every word. You tapped your bottom lip with a single finger.

“What’s a male escort?” You and Tyki froze at Eeze’s question. Clark, Momo, Tyki, and you all shared a look that clearly asked ‘Should we tell him?’

You cleared your throat and started, “Well…uhm…it’s…uh… It’s a man who escorts a woman places…sort of.” Eeze nodded, accepting your explanation.

Tyki rubbed his chin thoughtfully and muttered, “Well, I guess a male escort might buy this for a preferred client.”

“Is _that_ how you view me, Tyki?” you could not help but ask, feigning insult. You placed your hand over your heart. “You wound me so deeply.”

“Just how deep are you?” he asked.

Failing to catch the double-meaning, you shrugged. “You know, deep.”

“That sounds nice to me,” he said with a leering smile. You blinked, shook your head upon realizing your mistake, and sighed. “You’ve got to come into the bedroom to get your gift though.” You gave him a look of disbelief, staring at him as though he had grown two heads.” He held up his hands in front of himself. “Everyone’s got to come I mean. It’s not like that, (y/n). I didn’t wrap it is all.”

Still eyeballing him suspiciously, you slowly stood from your spot at the table. Clark, Momo, and Eeze each followed your example. Tyki was last to stand, however he took up lead to the procession to the bedroom, you coming in second. You glanced once more towards Clark and Momo before entering the room behind Tyki. They only smiled and urged you forward. Your heartbeat quickened in anticipation and, because it was Tyki, slight fear. The two men directed you to sit down on the bed while Tyki and Eeze moved towards the closet the males all shared. You asked if you should close your eyes, but Tyki stated that would not be necessary.

Tyki handed a small box to Eeze, who waited until the older male took the remainder of your gift out of the closet. The pair then walked over to you. Eeze was first to hand over an item. You blushed lightly at the heat shape of the box; chocolates, you knew. Tyki folded a shirt over top of the box, and you could not fail to notice that the material was your favorite color and felt very expensive. The last part of your gift had you thoroughly confused when placed upon your shirt.

“Uh…a…candle?” You looked into Tyki’s face.

The man nodded, running a hand over his stubble. “Yeah, I was picturing you in the shirt, eating the chocolate by candle light.”

Your blush deepened. “I was…wearing…you know, more than just the shirt in that scenario, right?”

“Of course you were!” Tyki said with a nod. You eyed him suspiciously, and with good reason as he went on to say. “You had panties on too.”

“Ty. Ki. Mikk!” you hissed.

“Julian~” he cooed back. You sighed and shook your head, listening intently as Clark and Momo whispered in the background their input on Tyki’s little ‘fantasy’. You could not help but wonder just how much the three had managed to corrupt your younger cousin. Especially, you noted, since Eeze had failed to ask why Tyki would want to picture you in your panties like that. “And now for your birthday spankings~”

You paled, your eyes grew wide as saucers, and you dropped the pile of gifts onto the floor as you made a run for the door. You heard Tyki shuffle after you, his feet hitting loudly against the ground. You would not put it past him to carry out the actions should he catch you, and thus you literally jumped across the room to gain more ground.


	4. Superpowers

Superpowers

Needless to say, after a whole lot of “No (giggle) stop!” and an assortment of “That hurts!” from you, as well as Tyki’s “But _I’m_ enjoying it, (y/n)-chan~”, your ass was really sore. You rubbed your behind with a single hand while Tyki adjusted himself. “I wasn’t too rough, was I?”

“I can’t believe you spanked me!” you said, your voice a slight whine as you touched a particularly tender spot on your behind.

Lighting a cigarette, Tyki just shrugged and took a quick drag. “It could’ve been worse, Jules. I could’ve had a desire to get you whipped~”

Your face a beat red, you moved further away from him. “That’s not the type of whipping I had been talking about this morning, and you know it!”

“I also could have pulled down your pants to spank you,” Tyki mused aloud. “I wonder if it even counts if I don’t…”

Blood darted away from your face, leaving you completely pale as you pondered over the possibility that the man before you was being serious. His expression displayed that he was clearly contemplating the fact that what he had done may have genuinely not counted. Tyki offered you a lopsided grin, which offered you just a smidget of comfort. Shaking your head, you observed him flick the cigarette away and close the distance between the two of you.

You stared up at him, trying to ignore the height distance that existed. His eyes were partly lidded, and you recognized the look as something he had given to random women on trains in the past. You did not know whether to be thoroughly embarrassed, take it as a compliment, or be angry with him. Only when he asked once more if he could convince you to stay here did you realize what he was doing.

"Ty. Ki." You narrowed your eyes, glaring at him. "Do not turn on your charm just as a means to keep me here! I'm a grown woman and--"

"--men will try to take advantage of you," he said with a nod.

Placing your hands on your hips, you quirked an eyebrow. "Aren't you attempting to do that right now?"

"(y/n), I'm hurt," he said, placing a hand over his heart. "I am _not_ trying to take advantage of you."

You crossed your arms over your chest and stared at him. Tyki simply continued to stare at you, smiling once more as a way to convince you that he was not currently attempting to take advantage of you.

"The problem here is that you think I'm completely innocent and naive," you said at long last. Tyki blinked then opened his mouth to give you his input. He was never given the chance as you promptly continued. "I'm not, Tyki. I know plenty of things you may not think I know! Pick any topic, and I bet you I know a ton about it!"

"Fornication."

"For what occasion?" You asked, blinking several times.

"Sex." He had taken a deep breath before paraphrasing his previous choice. Your face grew hot at the subject material, and hotter still upon realizing your mistake.

Clearing your throat, you shifted from one foot to the other and back again. Your fingers tapped against your legs several times as you fought away the blush that covered your face. Tyki waited patiently for you to regain your composure, suddenly far more interested in this conversation than he had previously been. A full minute elapsed before you were able to release the last shaky breath and start on your response.

"Well....people are naked and are touching each other."

"Yeah?"

"Yup." You nodded, cleared your throat yet again, and looked everywhere but at his face. "And... sometimes the woman gets pregnant."

"Wow, how that does that happen?" Tyki asked, his voice halfway sarcastic and also amused. He did what he could to keep his tone level, but failed.

"Sex." You nodded as you uttered that single syllable.

Tyki reached forward and patted the top of your head. "Now I'm even more convinced that you need to stay put, (y/n)~" You buried your face in your hands, effectively muffling the groan that escaped from you.

***************

Two hours later found you sitting with Eaze, playing a card game. Clark and Momo had been called into work after an accident had occurred. They had apologized to you, and you could only tell them that it was fine and out of their control; you were more worried about the fact that someone may have been hurt at the mine. Tyki, meanwhile, had taken the liberty of going through your suitcase. You were able to hear him grumbling every few seconds regarding how such-and-such an item was nothing for a girl to have, or how a certain clothing article just did not do you justice and could you please stop cross-dressing. You had taken to ignoring the vagabound's complaints, however did what you could to keep your eye on him, ensuring that he would repack your suitcase with all items intact.

Your eyes slid back to the cards in your right hand while your left reached for the pile between the two of you. Your cousin smiled underneath his mask as you "went fish". Lifting the new card to align with the rest, you frowned and muttered that it was his turn; you had not gotten what you wanted. You were starting to wonder if Tyki had managed to teach Eaze how to cheat at Go-fish when your cousin yet again asked for and received two pairs in a row from you. You eyed the adult male suspiciously for a moment.

Feeling your gaze on him, Tyki paused in his actions and turned to look at you. You immediately dropped your eyes back to the game at hand, leaving the man slightly unnerved and suddenly interested in your mindset. He set the shirt he was holding back into your suitcase then walked over to you. He sat to where both you and Eaze were on either side of him, the deck of cards just a few inches from his crossed legs.

Several minutes transpired during which you did little to acknowledge his presence with nothing more than a few fleeting glances. He, meanwhile, altered his gaze from the cards in your hands to those in Eaze's hands. You almost asked him if he were telepathic-- _almost_ \--when for the next several seconds Eaze called for every number, queen, and jack that you held. Robbed of all but a single item, your hand flexed for a moment; it was at long last your turn again to ask for a card. 

"Do you have a three?" Eaze glanced down at his card, drifted his eyes back to you, and then stared at the surface yet again. He said nothing, and you were left waiting. Fifteen seconds passed before at last he shook his head and told you to go fish. At that moment Tyki's stomach growled, causing both you and your cousin to jump. There was complete silence in the room; the three of you stared at the man's gut, all waiting in anticipation for another noise. Nothing. And so you, leaning ever-slighty closer, whispered, "Fish."

Still nothing. Tyki snorted and you looked up at him, glaring half-heartedly. "My stomach doesn't talk on command, (y/n)~"

Rolling your eyes, you handed the card over to Tyki and instructed him to take over while you made the three of you something small to eat. Tyki started to protest, going over the fact that it was your birthday, however you hushed him. Within seconds you were washing your hands in the small sink and then rummaging through the cupboards, attempting to figure out what it was you were hungry for.

 _I think there's still some leftover fish_ , you reminded yourself. You closed the cupboard and made way to the fridge. Sure enough, there was still enough of the meat to split between the three of you while leaving some for both Clark and Momo--although, more than likely you knew, you would not see them until the following day.

Dismissing that disappointing reminder from your brain, you resumed preparing a small meal that consisted of fish and potatoes. Shortly after you had placed the food on the stovetop, you sensed Tyki's presence behind you. You glanced backwards, noticing that Eaze was packing away the deck of cards in their case; you did not even ask who won--unless Tyki both cheated and erased Eaze's memory it would have been impossible for him the salvage a victory. Hearing the man inhaling behind you as you turned up the heat, you looked at him over your shoulder with a quirked eyebrow.

"I'm going to let it simmer for a bit," you said. "That way it can soak up more flavor."

Tyki's stomach grumbled in response, and you smiled at him. In the background, Eaze headed for the bedroom. He would sit in there and read a bit on the subjects you had brought home for him; since you could not afford to give him a proper education, you did what you could. It was, after all, what his parents would have wanted. You stared after him, even as the door clicked closed behind him. Your eyes lingered for a few moments on the wooden frame and then returned to Tyki.

Wrapping an arm around you, the man led you over to the small loveseat the four of you had to share between everyone. While Tyki laid on his back, his arm crossed behind his head, you settled yourself beside him. You laid your head against his chest and studied your fingernails, which were starting to grow out already. You made a quick mental note that you would need to clip them before you returned to work; you honestly did not want to be revealed to be female over something as stupid as forgetting to keep your nails trimmed. Not that I don't wear gloves, you reminded yourself. Tyki also watched you, his eyes gliding over the contours of your limb as you twisted your hand in several positions.

Exhaling deeply yet quietly, you said, "Tyki, if you could have a superpower, what would it be?"

Startled, the man tensed beside you then peered down at your face. He ran the question through his mind several times and thought of the best way to answer such an innocent inquiry; after all, it wasn't as though you knew or suspected he did indeed have powers.

"That's a childish question, isn't it, (y/n)?"

You huffed then twisted your body until your stomach touched his side. At the same time, you lifted your torso up to where you were able to look down into his face.

"It is not. I'm totally serious. Like, would you want to walk through walls? Fly? Have laser vision?"

Chuckling, Tyki wrapped a single arm around your waist and pulled you closer to his body. You blushed, your chest flush against his. It did not help any that his hand gently caressed you, rubbing up and down along your spine. You shuddered as chills ran through you. Your body was most unused to this sort of attention from any person, much less a man.

"Have you asked Clark and Momo this before?"

You tugged your bottom lip into your mouth and bit down on it for a moment, squirming until Tyki's hand stopped its movement and laid flat against you.

"Yeah."

"Hmm." That thoughtful noise was all you needed to hear to know that he had given in. Such was a benefit of having lived with him for so long, knowing all his quirks and what random noises from him meant. "What about choosing what I want to touch?" he asked, eyes dancing over your face to assess your reaction.

You furrowed your brow and scrunched your nose. "Huh?"

"Well, I could choose to not touch the wall and walk through it, or not touch air and so fly, and--"

"What? No, Tyki, that's cheating," you said with a laugh.

A smile spread across his face, amusement dancing in his eyes. "It's cheating, hmm?"

"Well, ch'yeah!" Once more you lifted your upper body, placing your hands on either side of his chest so that you could retain that position. "You're basically choosing to have multiple powers there. It's cheating. You're only allowed one." His grin widened. You, in response, poked his nose with a single finger. "So, what power would you want?"

"The power of seduction~" Your face grew hot, and a small squeak escaped you as Tyki's hand slapped your ass.

You pulled yourself away from him, rubbing your rear, which was still somewhat sore from the birthday spankings he had given you earlier. You huffed. "Tyki, I'm trying to be serious here. I mean, what if you were a superhero? How would the power of seduction help you out?"

"Well, you be the super villain and we'll find out, okay~" He rolled his hips as he said that, lifting himself into a sitting position.

Once again you found yourself rolling your eyes at the vagabond. "Tyki, you're so improper." All the same, you were grinning and heading back to the kitchen area to the food, which you knew would be ready soon. You ignored the man behind you as you picked up the wooden spoon and stirred the potatoes. He rummaged through the cupboard for a few moments then walked to the sink, a cup in his hands. Tyki took a sip at the same moment you took a step back to check on the fish. Once the oven was re-closed, you shifted further back and nodded to yourself.

A loud gasp fled you as the cold water poured over you. Your hands were up, reaching over your head to take the still half-full cup away from Tyki. He, however, shifted towards your left, where he pushed the cup forward and tossed more water down your front. “Tyki Mikk, stop getting me all wet right now!”

“What? I’m making you wet~?” the vagabond asked innocently. "I guess my superpowers are really kicking in~"

Just as you were about to counter with a comment that was on the tip of your tongue, your younger cousin poked his head out of the room. Not seeing him, as your back was facing his direction, you jabbed a finger at Tyki's chest, poking him lightly with your nail. "You, buster--"

"Ah, (y/n), I can take you~"

Eaze walked over to the pair of you, and it was not until he spoke that either of you realized he was standing there. Both you and Tyki jumped at the sound of: "Can I go too?"

For a moment you sputtered out nothing more than nonsense before taking a deep breath and regaining your cool. "Uh--no, hun."

"So you're only taking (y/n)?" Eaze asked, turning to face Tyki. The older male switched his gaze between you and your cousin, and noted your glare of warning immediately. 

"Hmm, yeah~ It's just (y/n) and me~"

"Oh," Eaze said, sounding dejected for a second. You felt your heart go out to him until the moment he perked back up. "Is it because you're (y/n)'s male escort?" Both you and Tyki found your jaws dropping towards the floor. (1)

-1-1-1-1-1-

1\. Go figure. The explanation from the previous chapter came and bit you in the butt~


	5. Cast Your Line

Cast Your Line

Clearing your throat, you sent one final glare of doom in the direction of Tyki, and then placed a hand on Eeze's shoulder, steering him several feet away to explain to him the truth behind the term 'male escort'. You called over to Tyki to finish preparing the meal by taking it off the stove and allowing it to cool down for a bit; the fish in the oven still needed a few more minutes until it was done. Eeze allowed you to direct him all the way to the small dining room table. There you seated him on a chair prior to sliding a second directly in front of his. You sat face-to-face with your younger cousin, almost knee-to-knee. Bright blue eyes blinked lazily, curiously in front of you. Swallowing the thick saliva that had gathered in your mouth, you then proceed to inhale deeply. Slowly you released that single breath, all the while attempting to figure out how to explain this without traumatizing the poor boy. You thought several times of allowing Tyki to do the honors, but knew better than to do that; you did not need your cousin to wind up being as much of a pervert as Tyki, Momo, or Clark—although, you had to admit, the chances of that were already high.

At long last you cleared your throat into a fist you had made and raised to your mouth. With a second, forced cough, you began your explanation, which you were certain would forever ruin Eeze's innocence:

"Eeze, I have to tell you this because I love you." His eyelids drifted downwards, closed and then opened yet again. His eyes bore into you, and you felt all the more guilty for what you were about to do. "I would never hire a male escort. You see, those are for women who want company to dinner or...say...they want to—erm—cuddle."

"So it's a male version of a prostitute?" Eeze said simply, leaving you sputtering random nonsense consisting mostly of syllables tightly wound together and resembling 'ah-wha-cha-mu'.

Before you had a chance to inquire as to how the boy had learned of such things, the voice of the guilty party rang towards the pair of you. "Naw~ Not all escorts perform indecent deeds." You swung around, staring at Tyki with your mouth agape. Tyki immediately lowered his hand from his face, which had been raised to allow a single finger to block his lips; you were certain he had been attempting to hush your younger cousin from saying anything more. Turning to face away from you, the vagabond shrugged and released a sigh. "He works in a mine, (y/n), you can't expect him to not know these things~"

Your bottom lip protruded forward, and although Tyki was incapable of seeing your pout, you had no doubt he was aware it existed. Despite this fact, he made no move of commenting on it. Instead he busied himself with removing the fish from the oven, and then pulling three plates out of the cupboard so that you could eat. You did not quite enjoy the idea of this being dismissed so simply. It helped none either when Tyki went on to comment that 'the boy would have to learn this eventually anyhow~'.

"It doesn't make it right that you just let him hear these kinds of things," you said, then winced upon seeing Eeze eyeing you curiously. It was not as if you meant to speak about him while he was sitting there. Licking your lips, you shook your head. "It's just not right for you to speak about those things like that, Eeze. You've got to have more class them _him_." You nodded your head in the direction of Tyki as you pronounced the final word. Said man was placing the plates, filled with food, on the table for the three of you.

It was his turn to pout, which he did while taking the seat to your left. 

"You're so mean to me, (y/n)~ So, so mean to me~"

You rolled your eyes at his exaggerated accusation, which he played upon more by swiveling the food on his plate around with his fork as though completely dejected. Simultaneously, you and Tyki took a bite of your food and started to chew. Eeze, meanwhile, was staring at his, a look of minor confusion on his face. As though he were contemplating something that, while unimportant in the greater scheme of things, could somehow alter his life completely.

"Is Tyki really a male escort then?" Tyki and you both swallowed down the wrong tube, choking on the fish and potatoes that had been in your mouths.

Needless to say, it was an eventful two hours following, during which time you and Tyki took turns explaining more adult topics to Eeze, who eventually walked out of the room whilst eyeballing the pair of you as though you had each grown three new heads. At that point, you were sprawled across the ground on your belly, your face buried in your hands. Tyki, meanwhile, was sitting on the couch, smoking a cigarette to help relieve some of the tension that had built up. There was a bump on his head where you had thrown the pack of cards at him; this, of course, had occurred subsequent to him starting to explain the process of reproduction to your cousin.

"Remind me to _never_ have children, S.A.M," you mumbled into the floor, your voice muffled. All the same, the intended individual heard and acknowledged your request with a grunt of agreement. "In fact, just removed my uterus for me." You missed entirely his incredulous look pointed in your direction.

Exhaling a final time, Tyki extinguished the remaining bits of his cigarette. He placed the butt in a make-shift ashtray he kept around. You watched him in complete silence up until the point he told you that he was going to hit the hay. With a tiny wave, you offered him a 'g'night'. Seconds later he was in the bedroom and you were left alone. You stared at the wooden surface for just a moment longer. At last you pushed yourself into a standing position, walked to the kitchen sink, and finished cleaning off the dinner dishes.

 _All night he was shooting me weird looks_ , you thought, scrubbing a plate. _It's really starting to worry me. I don't get why he's so opposed to my being a Finder—it can't only be because he is worried about my safety, can it?_

You shook your head, wiping all thoughts of Tyki from your mind, before glancing at the clock on the wall; Clark and Momo were due home soon. _I should make something up for them to eat. They'll probably be really hungry_ , you told yourself. Your eyes darted once again to the refrigerator. Your mind was made up before you had much time to think on it; Clark and Momo would be eating a meal similar to the one you, Eaze and Tyki had eaten.

The two men arrived home a good ten minutes before the food was done cooking; they were quiet so as to not awaken any of the occupants in the house. You flashed them a quick smile while they removed their work clothes and relaxed on the couch. They thanked you for making them something to eat, but also made a note to tell you that you didn’t _have_ to wait up for them.

“I wanted to,” you said in protest, furrowing your brow. “I’m not getting much time here, so I want to hang out with you guys as much as possible.”

Momo smirked while Clark commented, “You’re so good to us, (y/n).”

Blushing lightly, you averted your gaze. A moment later you served up the food, the three of you sitting at the table. Clark and Momo recounted how the day went. You listened intently, and when they asked how your evening went you released a sigh. Your gaze momentarily traveled to the bedroom door behind which Eeze and Tyki were in bed. Cocking your head to the side, you started with:

“Well, Eeze officially knows that Tyki isn’t a male escort.” Two sets of eyebrows rose, and both men leaned closer to you, eager to hear the story. You recounted the awkward experience to them while they ate; Clark and Momo laughed at the situation. They added their own input regarding some of the things Eeze had overheard at the mine, which worried you slightly. Placing a finger against your bottom lip, you said, “I didn’t think he’d hear so much.”

“Don’t worry, (y/n),” Clark said with a nod. “ _We_ don’t talk like that in front of him.” You smiled.

-In the Morning-

By the time you woke up, Tyki, Clark, and Eeze had already left for work. A part of you hated that your younger cousin had to do such a dangerous job; the mine was no place for a kid, even if the three older males did their damnedest to ensure he was safe. Momo, meanwhile, had stayed behind to spend the day with you. Your face was red with blush when the man revealed the news to you. What had not helped was that you, unaware that anyone else was in the house, had walked out of the room—with every intention to enter the bathroom, mind you—clad only in your bra and panties.

Now that you were dressed for the day and standing next to Momo, you were still blushing lightly. Momo ran a hand through his hair, but did not comment on the matter; for this, you were grateful.

“So, what are our plans for today, (y/n)?” the man asked as he pulled on his jacket.

You tapped your chin with your index finger and gave a thoughtful hum. “Well, I do need some more male clothes. And Eeze could use a new jacket.”

“Shopping?”

Grinning, you gave a sharp nod. “Shopping.”

Sighing, Momo followed you out the door; the only thing he had to say in relief was that you were not shopping for female clothing--otherwise, the pair of you would be out _all_ day. Once outside, the two of you were able to make your way through the streets easily enough; most people were already at work or were inside their homes for the morning. Afternoon was when the town really got bustling.

“Do you, Tyki, or Clark need anything?” you asked after passing the first clothing store; it was boutique that had you holding back a wanton sigh.

Momo shrugged. “I don’t want to spend your money for you, (y/n). That’s not what men do.”

“Oh, ho ho~ I need to meet some men then.” While Momo snorted, you cackled and skipped off to a store that stocked working clothes. Your male companion had no choice but to follow you. You immediately grabbed the first item that caught your eye, trying them on right then and there. Turning to Momo, who had arrived behind you, you asked, “Hey, do these gloves make my hands look big?”

“No, but they make your butt look fat,” Momo replied, walking on towards the boots. 

You reached behind yourself with both hands and grabbed your own ass. “How does that even work?” 

You removed the gloves from your hands but did not put them back. Instead you placed them into a shopping basket you snatched up from the pile that stood beside the glove stand. Following that, you joined Momo by the boots. You saw the pair he was eyeballing, cocked your head to the side, and snagged them up as well. Momo released a startled noise, scowled, and started to protest.

“(y/n), don’t—”

“I should totally buy Tyki a fishing pole so that he stops visiting that dump.”

Momo, successfully distracted, nodded in agreement. “Yeah, he smells when he comes back.”

“He really does,” you stated thoughtfully. That revelation alone helped you decide to walk straight to the fishing rods. You eyed the various rods, suddenly at a loss. You were not expert fisherman. In fact, you were no fisherman at all. You set your basket on the ground next to your foot and reached for one of the rods. 

You moved the rod in various directions, frowning as you tried to get a feel for the thing. Not pleased with how it felt in your hands, you replaced the rod on the shelf and grabbed up the next one. Momo stood to your right, observing your every action. Your fingers were running along the length of the pole. Momo’s eyes lifted, his gaze traveling to the male cashier, who was distracted by what you were doing. Your companion narrowed his eyes and snatched the fishing pole out of your hands.

Blinking, you looked around for a moment and tried to figure out what had just happened. Seeing the rod in Momo’s hands, you shot him a questioning look.

“Guys get the wrong idea when you start messing around with a ton of rods like that, (y/n).” You furrowed your brow. Momo only smirked and shook his head in dismissal. “This one’s good enough, I’m sure.”

You shrugged, choosing to not argue with him. You picked up your basket, looked around, and went next to the hats. With Clark in mind, you began sifting through the various colors and sizes. Shooting the cashier one last look of annoyance, Momo carried the fishing pole while following you. He kept his eye on the cashier, who had ducked his head and gone back to his work. You, however, remained completely oblivious to this exchange.

With your right hand you lifted up a navy-blue hat, while with the other you bought up a black one. Your gaze switched between the two. At the same time, you rolled the material with your thumb to see how durable it would be. Conflicted over which color, you threw the both of them in the basket with a roll of your eyes.

Momo and you then made your way to the register. There you unloaded your basket and Momo set down the rod. Without making a single comment, and while keeping his eyes on Momo, the cashier rang up your items.

The next store you went to specialized in children clothing. Momo literally had to move you away from the baby clothes, where you were cooing and ‘awwww-ing’. He dragged you to the boys clothes. Pouting slightly, you sorted through the different jackets present. You grabbed up a medium-weight jacket for your younger cousin. Afterwards, you moved towards the scarves and gloves. “He needs to be set for colder climates,” you commented to yourself.

“We have been having jobs in colder places, yeah,” Momo said. You turned your head to look at him over your shoulder. “Nothing too bad. We make sure Eeze stays warm.”

“I know,” you said softly, a small smile spreading across your face. “I trust you guys with him.” You glanced off to the side. “…you and Clark especially.”

“Tyki’s really good with Eeze,” Momo said, defending the vagabond.

You crossed your arms over your chest and sighed. “He is, but… There are times when I just don’t know how to read him. Plus, he can be a bit of a pervert.”

Momo chuckled. “(y/n), he’s only a pervert when he’s around you.” You made a fish-face, not fully believing what your friend was telling you. “Well, he’s at his worst when he’s with you,” he conceded.

Half an hour later found you and Momo in the men’s casual clothing store. Both Momo’s and your arms were covered with bags of men’s and children’s attire. You had purchased items for everyone; however, you still needed to find boxers for yourself. Momo had commented on how he did not see why you didn’t just wear panties. To this you had responded with logic: panties could easily be discovered while doing laundry.

You picked up a few plain-colored pairs for yourself. Your attention was then captured by a section of patterned boxers. You pulled up a few designs that caught your eye. The next second, you froze. Your eyes were transfixed upon a pair of boxers that held a koi-patterned design. You simply stared at them as though hypnotized. A mischievous, evil grin spread across your features and you seized the pair as though your life depended upon it.

-That Evening-

After your shopping adventure, you and Momo had gone home and sorted through the clothes. A pile was set on the table for Clark, Eeze, Tyki, and Momo. Atop Tyki’s pile sat the fishing rod. Your clothes you had immediately put away, save for the koi-boxers. Those you had literally skipped off with into the bathroom. Once there, you had dropped your pants and pulled on the boxers. You twirled around, watching yourself in the mirror.

When you heard the front door open, you moved close to the bathroom door. You did not leave just then, opting instead to listen as the two men and your cousin started examining their gifts. You gave them a few minutes then finally moved to join them. Clark and Eaze thanked you, while Tyki, holding the fishing pole you had purchased for him, simply stared at you. More precisely, he stared at your boxers.

“You like?” You asked, doing a twirl.

Tyki tapped his thumb against the fishing pole. “Those are koi?”

You placed your hands on your hips, smiled sweetly, and said, “Why, yes they are. And this is one pond your rod isn’t taking a dip in~”

Tyki, along with Clark and Momo, sputtered. The vagabond was first to regain his composure, grinning in a way that would have had you shuddering had you been looking in his direction. You had, however, turned to pay attention to Eeze, who was giving you an odd and somewhat horrified look after your comment. You apologized to him; he told you it wasn’t a big deal. He was more focused on telling you how much he liked the jacket and clothes you had gotten for him.

“How was work?” you asked Eeze.

Tugging on the sleeves of the jacket, your cousin took a few moments to answer you. When at least the clothing item was secure upon his frame, he said, “As usual.” He then picked up the remainder of the pile you had purchased for him and took them into the bedroom to be put away. 

Once your cousin was out of sight, Tyki said, “(y/n), take those off.”

“Excuse me?” you looked at him, eyebrow quirked. 

“You’re making me hungry.”

“Oh, Tyki,” you said, sighing and shaking your head.

“Hmm?” He, Clark, and Momo were also gathering up their items.

You pointed to a koi that was on your boxers; to heighten the effect, you had made sure it was one swimming across a more suggestive place on your anatomy. “Eat it.”

For the second time that night, you had the three men gawking. 

From the bedroom, you four all heard Eeze’s voice shout out:

“He’s corrupting you, not me, (y/n).”


	6. Ring-A-Ding-Ding

Ring-A-Ding-Ding

You stretched as you stood in the middle of the bedroom you all shared. It was early noon, and every member of your mostly-adopted family was working at the mine. You had taken advantage of this by catching up on your sleep followed by an hour of cleaning. That completed, you threw off your dirty clothing. It was much too dusty for your liking. Wrinkling your nose, you shimmied your hips as you tugged on a fresh bra and panties. Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted a familiar shirt; it was the one Tyki had purchased for you for your birthday.

Smiling, you pulled the shirt over your head. Your toes curled, your stomach fluttered, and you released a light squeak as you experienced for the first time how comfortable the material was. You twirled around once then skipped over to the opposite side of the room. Your fingers fiddled with the knobs on the old radio. Static filled the room followed by various partial sounds as you flipped through the stations. Music came out of the speakers when at last you stopped on a familiar station. You knew the song, both the lyrics and beat, by heart.

Strumming on a fake guitar, you moved your hips to the rhythm. Your feet started to tap out the beat, and you mouthed the lyrics. In a short matter of seconds, you were singing to the song and full-out dancing. You waved your arms above your head, snapped a few times, and sashayed backwards until you were able to grab your hairbrush from the bed you had slept in the previous night.

You sang into the brush, pivoting your hips then rocking them. The fact that you were clad only in your shirt and underwear did not bother you in the least. That the candle Tyki had purchased for you was burning did make you wonder briefly if he was in any way psychic. Nah, you told yourself, I'm not eating the chocolate right now.

The shirt pulled up, exposing your lower belly, as you swerved your hip to the right--and then you froze. Your mouth was open, your hairbrush positioned in front of it. Your pelvis was thrust towards the door. Your grip on the hairbrush faltered, sending it clattering onto your foot before it bounced to the ground. Wincing, you waved your hands in front of yourself and sputtered out a ton of nonsense.

Tyki, meanwhile, continued to hold onto the doorknob as he stood there, frozen, and stared at you. His lips were parted a fraction of an inch. You would bet your life that his eyes were wide behind his glasses. The cigarette that had been in his mouth before he had caught sight of you had fallen to the ground. Seeing the smoke pouring from it, you instinctively jumped on top of it. Shrieking as your sole was burned, you jumped on one foot until Tyki scooped you up into his arms.

"What the hell are _you_ doing _here_?" you asked, rubbing the bottom of your foot while Tyki continued to hold you.

"Lunch break," he replied, his voice cracking. You stopped massaging your injury and blinked as you lifted your chin to look him in the face. "Is _that_ what you do when you're left alone? Gyrate your hips and bounce around? I'm thinking I need to install a nanny cam."

"No, I don't...you best not!" You grit your teeth as you ground out the latter words.

Tyki grinned down at you. "But I want to see that again, (y/n)~"

You pushed against his chest and freed yourself of his grasp. Tyki kept his hands in place, as though he were cradling the air. You eyed him for a moment. Raising a single brow, you walked backwards, reached a hand behind yourself, and fumbled with some clothes that your inquisitive limb came in contact with. Feeling the jean material, you quickly whipped on the pants. By the time you were buttoning and zipping the front, Tyki had at last lowered his arms to his sides.

"See, (y/n), if you go off to be a Finder, you won't get to dance around like that."

"Knock it off, S.A.M." You glowered at him. He was like a dog with a bone; why he wouldn't let the subject drop was beyond you. "I don't need you to protect me."

Tyki frowned. "Don't say that~"

"How can you have that ...that... _lilt_ in your voice when you look upset. It's not natural." You sat down on the bed and lifted your foot into your lap. You inspected the underside. A small burn, nothing more. "Actually..." You perked up, jumping to your feet. "Help me speak with a more masculine voice!"

Tyki snorted and moved out of the room. You immediately followed him. Paying careful attention to your injured foot, your pace was drastically slower than his. Tyki, apparently deciding to accommodate you, took smaller steps. He pulled some food out of the fridge while you walked over to the cupboard and took out two plates. Together, him with the food and you with the plates, you walked to the table. You set the plates down on the surface then waited as Tyki separated what he had onto the two dishes.

"Does Eeze have a later lunch?"

"Nah, we had all packed a lunch." You shot him a look of confusion. "Eeze was very hungry. I gave him my food and worked a bit longer so I could come here."

Your face melted into a smile; he treated your cousin like a son or younger brother sometimes. He sat down in the chair that was beside yours after scooting it even closer. The two of you ate in silence for the first part of your meal, which consisted of an assortment of fruits and some nuts for protein. As you chewed on one of the almonds, your eyes remained transfixed on Tyki's left hand. His fingers were tapping the surface, drumming out a beat. Listening harder, you realized you had left the radio on and that Tyki was tapping out the beat to the song that was playing.

You tried, and failed, to recognize the tune yourself. You furrowed your brow and took another bite of fruit. The meal the two of you shared transpired in that peaceful silence. Tyki stood up from the table not too long after you and he had sat down. At first this startled you, however you soon remembered he had to return to work. You walked him to the door, earning an amused look from him.

“That’s the gentleman’s job, (y/n),” Tyki said . He ran a lone finger down the length of your nose before waving with the hand to which it belonged. Then, that was it. He was gone, walking out of sight down the road.

You stood in the doorway for a length of time, staring at his retreating form. Even after he had disappeared from view, you remained. You did not know why, but something was nagging at your mind. Tyki had _never_ been so insistent on anything like this with you before. Likewise, he had not been so persistent at keeping you from doing something you obviously wanted to do.

Frowning, you at last turned and went back inside your house. The door shut softly behind you. “It’s almost as though he’s hiding something from me,” you muttered to yourself.

Shaking your head, you dismissed the thought almost immediately. You had other issues to worry about. Namely, there were a few books you still had to study before your trip ended. With a sigh, you returned to your room and sat down on your bed. Two books sat there with you, and one you pulled onto your lap. You fingered the bookmark for a moment. With a shrug and a shake of your head, you flipped the book open to the marked page and began reading.

You near jumped when, sometime later, the front door opened and voices filtered into the house. Blinking, you checked the clock and realized just how much time had transpired. Abandoning the book you were in the process of finishing up, you headed for the kitchen. Clark, Momo, and Eeze were removing their dirty shoes by the door. They had dusted off before coming in, that much you knew. Eeze shot you a quick look and a smile before heading towards the bathroom; he always had first dibs on the shower after work.

Your eyes wandered past Clark and Momo until the two men told you Tyki was out for a walk. Humming softly, you accepted the information as best you could; Tyki was either acting very strange, or he had changed a lot more than you had thought the short time you had been gone. Just a few months and already this different? It was a disheartening thought; how much were you missing when you were gone?

_No! I can’t think like that. We need the money. Yes, we’re comfortable, but we’re barely getting by. And Eeze…I don’t want him to have to take up anymore shifts. He’s too young to be working like this to begin with. This is for the best._

Smiling at Clark and Momo to hide your inner turmoil, you said, “I’ll get started on dinner. It should be ready by the time the three of you get done with your showers…hopefully Tyki gets back soon or he’s eating cold food.”

“If there are any leftovers,” Clark said with a laugh.

“There better be,” you said seriously before suddenly your eyes widened. “Otherwise he’ll probably hop into the nearest dumpster looking for a fishing pole to catch something.”

Clark and Momo both started laughing. Whether it was because what you said was true, or because your expression was so serious when you said it, you weren’t sure. You smiled warmly at the two then turned on your heel and walked over to one of the cupboards. You started rummaging through the pantry in search of various foods you could prepare for a tasty meal. While you set a few cans and jars on the ledge, you could not help but wonder the reasoning behind Tyki's sudden urge to take a walk. The man generally stuck close by to Eeze unless he had to leave on one of his odd-jobs.

Sucking in your bottom lip, you shook your head and took out one last item from the cupboard. _There's no need to worry about it,_ you told yourself. _Tyki's an adult. If he needs some time, he needs some time. I just wish he and I could see eye to eye about my new occupation._ With a sigh, you began opening the cans of food you had taken out. 

It took you roughly fifteen minutes to open all the jars and cans, and mix them together as needed. In that time, Eeze had joined you in the kitchen and Clark had hopped into the shower. You imagined he would be done any minute now so that Momo could clean up before dinner as well. Your younger cousin started helping you put the food into the correct pots and pans while you continued rolling dough for the biscuits.

Within the following hour the four of you were sitting at the table with dinner served up. Tyki had yet to return, much to your dismay. All the same, you knew that the three present had to get to bed at a decent time since there was work tomorrow. Thus, the four of you had decided that it was high time to eat. After setting some food aside for Tyki, you had begun dining with your companions.

You wrinkled your nose as, while you took a bite of food, Momo told a joke he had overheard in the mine. Surprisingly, it was appropriate for dinner conversation. You chuckled as he arrived at the punch-line. Clark snorted and Eeze grinned. Momo smirked before shoveling a forkful of food into his mouth. Dinner finished with that same jovial atmosphere. When it was done, Clark and Momo surprised you by volunteering to do the few dishes that were dirty.

While the two men took care of that, you and Eeze rummaged through the small game drawer. There were several card decks for poker, two other card games, one or two board games, and lastly—your hands seized up the box of the game that had drawn your attention. You knew Eeze was grinning behind you as both you and he returned to the table. You removed the top from the box, took out the various score pads, pencils and pens, and finally the cup with the dice. Clark and Momo joined the two of you in a short amount of time. Both grinned upon seeing the Yahtzee game.

“Roll to see who goes first?” you asked whilst holding out a handful of dice. Clark, Momo and Eaze each took a dice to roll. You set down the extras then, with one still in your hand, you joined the others in rolling to see who got the highest number. Your eyes wandered over the results. Clark had rolled a three, Momo a four, Eeze a two, and you rolled… “A four. Hmm. Tie-breaker time, Momo.”

The two of you picked up your respective dice then rolled once more. Momo’s dice stopped on four dots once more, whereas yours teetered before at last stopping on a five. A wide grin slowly spread across your face. Fighting down the urge to gloat, you quietly picked up all the dice and placed them in the cup. All the while, you had to bite down on your inner cheeks to keep your grin level.

In high spirits, you scrambled the dice up in the cup, twisting your wrist around and around before tipping the cup over and pouring the dice on the table. You had a small straight. Putting all but one dice off to the side, you rerolled. A frown came to your face and you narrowed your eyes. Taking your third roll, you tried again.

“Meh. A small straight is good enough, I suppose,” you said, trying to convince yourself more than anything; you had been set on starting off with a large straight.

Momo and Clark both grinned at the fact you had been unsuccessful. You did not take this much to heart; the two men were competitive when it came to games. Not that you could say in earnest that you weren’t just the same. Your gaze slid over to Eeze, who was gathering the dice into the cup. He was about the only one who remained chipper no matter the outcome of the game. _He’s such a good kid._ You placed your hands into your lap and waited, along with the two men, for your younger cousin to take his turn.

Eaze wound up with four sixes and a one, which he put under his ‘six’ category. Clark had a full house with ones and twos, and Momo ended up with a small straight like yours. Each of you marked 

After another two rounds, you had gotten yours ones and fours’ columns filled; Eeze had filled out his fives and sixes; Momo had been less lucky, getting only his twos and threes done; and Clark seemed to have all the luck, getting a large straight and then a Yahtzee. You mentally cursed Clark’s luck in the same breath that you verbally congratulated him. It was not easy to swallow down your jealousy. Momo fared no better in keeping his true feelings at bay. He could not wipe the frown from his face.

You stared at your own score pad while shaking the cup full of dice. In truth, you would be happy with either a large straight or a Yahtzee. Or, heck, even four sixes wouldn’t ruin your day. You tipped the cup over and allowed the dice to slowly fall, two by one by one by two, out. You literally jumped out of your seat. Your hands were thrown up in the air as your chair flipped over backwards. It landed with a resounding thud that did nothing to drown out your exclamation of, “Yahtzee!”

Clark, Momo and Eeze all stared at your five ones on the table. Clark rubbed the back of his head, while Eeze leaned forward on his elbows to peer closer at the dice. Momo, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes. His gaze slid from the dice to you. He jutted out his jaw and asked:

“You cheated, didn’t you?”

Your jaw dropped and your mouth hung open. “Did not!” Clark elbowed Momo in the side. The latter immediately ceased his accusations. Watching him through half-lidded eyes, you replaced the dice into the cup and passed it on to Eeze. Your cousin laughed at your and Momo’s mini argument as he proceeded to take his turn.

Fifteen minutes later found Clark _still in the lead_. Momo had switched from accusing you of cheating to sending Clark questionable glances every time the man had the dice. Aside from Clark and you, there had been no yahtzees. Dumping the dice on the table for the third time in a row, you wound up with a total of three two’s. It was disappointing, to say the least, but you figured so long as you did not have to scratch anything you weren’t going to complain. Eeze followed your example of rolling three times, however he managed to secure a small straight in that time.

“Not bad, not bad,” Momo said as Eeze passed him the dice. Your cousin thanked the elder man whilst jotting down his score.

The duration of the game lasted another thirty minutes in which Clark managed a second Yahtzee, you had to scratch your large straight, and Momo reluctantly scratched his Yahtzee column. The three of you stared suspiciously at Eeze’s scorepad. Despite having witnessed it with your own eyes, not a one of you could believe that he had managed to get not one, but a total of four Yahtzees at the game’s end. With your elbows rested on the table, you cupped your chin in your hands and sighed wistfully.

“If only I had that sort of luck,” you murmured. Clark and Momo nodded in agreement.

Eeze shrugged off his win; you were pleased to say that he did not gloat. At least, not in front of you. A portion of you wondered if, when you were away, he mimicked the actions of the three men in his life. Tyki, Clark, and Momo could all be gloating bastards, if you were to give your honest opinion.

Clark hummed when he caught sight of the clock and the time it read. Your gaze slid towards said device. A frown came to your lips. Due to having to work in the morning, it was time for the other three to hit the hay—and yet Tyki had still not returned. Clark and you exchanged a knowing glance before he directed Eeze towards the bedroom. The two bade you and Momo a goodnight then left. Alone with you, Momo also stood from the table.

“Are you going to go look for him?” he asked you. 

Realizing immediately that he was leery about letting you go so late at night, you could not help but smile. “I’ll be fine. I learned a bit on self-defense in basic training to be a Finder.” His frown faltered somewhat but did not entirely disappear. “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. I promise.”

Momo grunted but, likely knowing that you would not budge on your stance in the matter, nodded. You gave him a quick hug. As he left for the bedroom, you walked over to the door then changed your mind and first grabbed a coat out of the closet. Bundling up, you stepped outside into the cool night air. You closed the door quietly behind yourself then headed down the road.

_He could be at a bar, but… I don’t think he’d waste time there right now. Not when he’d rather convince me to stay here. Getting drunk wouldn’t do that, and he knows it._

You frowned, trying to think up a place that would be Tyki’s most likely location. You almost instantly recalled your earlier conversation with Clark and Momo regarding Tyki’s tendency to go dumpster diving to find things such as fishing rods. That provided you with two possible locations; the dump and the beach. You grimaced at the thought of visiting the former. It was just unclean and…you did not know why Tyki found the place to his liking.

“I’ll hit the beach,” you muttered to yourself while rolling your eyes. You stuffed your hands into your pockets then proceeded to walk towards said location.

There were only a few individuals out at this time of night. A few were men heading towards bars. Others were children racing home for bedtime after playing outside all evening. Once or twice you spotted woman, however on each occasion she was on her own doorstep. A lot of things could happen to woman at night; especially if she were alone. You were not oblivious to this fact. In truth, you were at the time very grateful for your short haircut and the men’s jacket you were wearing. The jacket hid your womanly figure and, along with your hairstyle, provided you with a boyish image. All the same, you quickened your pace a fraction and ducked your head.

Soon you found that your guess had been correct. Tyki sat by the water, a fishing rod in hand. You were startled for half a second at the nice condition in which the rod appeared to be in then remembered that you had bought it for him as a gift. Of course, that only brought to mind the question of when he had grabbed it—you could not recall him taking it after leaving subsequent to eating lunch with you. Your attention then slid to the well-dressed and well-groomed girl who was standing near Tyki. The lace and frills garnered much attention from you. Distracted by the child’s attire, your pace slowed.

Tyki turned his head towards the girl and said something to her. You could hear the girl’s giggles from where you were. Your brow furrowed; did Tyki know this person? Still laughing jovially, the girl caught sight of you and cocked her head partway to the side so that she was able to get a better look at you. Tyki followed his gaze. In the darkness of the descending night, you could not see his expression. You could, however, see the way his body seemed to tense when he caught sight of you.

Goosebumps formed on your flesh. You had an eerie, uneasy feeling within your gut yet could not place your finger on the cause. 

The well dressed, little girl waved goodbye to Tyki as she ran off, bypassing you quickly. Her giggles rang in your ears. You turned to watch her run off. At that time, you had completely stopped walking.

“Hey….(y/n)…” Tyki’s voice was distant in tone. You shook your head, and then walked to his side. You took a seat beside him, your knees pulled up to your chest and your arms wrapped firmly around them. Tyki stared at you for a moment in silence. “What’s wrong?”

“She looked at me funny.” Realizing how strange that sounded the moment it left your lips, you shook your head and laughed it off. “Sorry. The night is playing tricks on my mind.” It did not escape your attention the way his gaze shifted towards the city, to where the girl had run off. “Who was she, anyway? You two seemed to know each other.”

Tyki rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe she thought you were a boy then realized you were only a cross-dresser, Julian~” Your cheeks inflamed at Tyki’s taunting. You hit him on the side of his leg, and the two of you laughed.

Soon a blanket of calm silence wrapped around the pair of you. Tyki resumed his fishing. You leaned your head against his shoulder and closed your eyes. It was getting late, you well knew. Part of you wanted to chastise Tyki for staying out so late when he had work in the morning, but the other part—the portion of you that ultimately won—merely wanted to stay in this moment with him; every day that passed your vacation was coming closer to an end. You did not want to take a single second for granted.

“Hey…you remember when we pretended to get married…(y/n)…?” Tyki paused every few words, and you knew he was thinking of the incident as he questioned you about it. 

A smile immediately formed with your lips. Without opening your eyes, you asked, “What? Are you saying you want a fake divorce for our fake wedding?”

You both heard and felt him huff. He grumbled something under his breath. “No,” he said at last. “I’m serious. Do you remember?”

Your grin widened and at last you opened your eyes. You tilted your head back so that you could look into Tyki’s eyes. You were not surprised to find him looking down at you. “Of course I remember. How could I forget?” There was laughter in your voice as you spoke.

You truly could never forget that time. It had been the same night Eeze had introduced you to Clark, Momo and Tyki. Having reluctantly agreed to let them move in with the pair of you, you were none-the-bit pleased when that night Clark and Momo came home halfway drunk. The two explained that Tyki was still out drinking and refused to come with them. Noting the late hour that night, you had stormed off to find him with every intention of giving him two choices; he get his ass home that very instant, or he hit the highway and leave forever. 

You had been forced to search three different bars before finding him. Tyki had been busy ordering himself another drink, at which you shouted for the bartender to ignore the man. A few of the men nearby you tried several times to grope your figure, however you managed to weave your way past them to Tyki’s side. He was frowning at that time.

“Men shouldn’t treat you that way,” he said, slurring all of his words together so that it sounded more like: ‘Meh shunnit trit you tha’way’. 

To say the least, his stance had startled you. Not many males in the area had that stance. Your anger deflated. Sighing upon realizing this fact, you had seized Tyki by the upper-arm and had attempted to pull him with you. He was a strong man, you noticed for the first time, and did not budge an inch. Instead, he leaned his mouth closer to your face. You had scrunched up your nose at the smell of alcohol.

“Hey, lady~” You had closed your eyes and tried to breathe through your mouth instead. “Lezgit married.”

“Sure, sure,” you said while rolling your eyes and tugging on him again. That time, he moved with you. “Let’s just go.”

The walk home had been interesting, to say the least. He had prattled on and on about keeping your dignity and defending your honor…and making an honest woman out of you. You had done what you could to ignore him. Up until the point where he grabbed a random man, who had looked scared out of his wits, and demanded that he marry the two of you then and there. With a startled look, the man had asked you what was going on. You had whispered back to him to play along and pretend he was a priest. That night, Tyki and you had had a fake wedding.

Blinking at the memory, you crossed your arms over your chest. “I can’t believe _you_ still remember that. You were drunk off your ass.”

“Hey, now. That’s no way for a lady to talk,” he chastised you. Your lips responded to the way he pronounced the word ‘lady’ by quirking upwards. “Anyway.” You blinked at that dismissive word while Tyki carried on. “I wanted to tell you that I’ll _try_ to respect your decision.”

“As my fake husband?” you asked while laughing. Your shoulders were shaking as you tried to contain the extent of your amusement.

“Something like that,” Tyki said, showing his teeth as he grinned. “It’s a losing battle with you anyway. Just…” He fell quiet for a time. The two of you did not speak again until you were walking home, side by side. “Don’t do anything that you know will make me worried about you.”

“I’ll try not to,” you said as you and he entered your house. “Promise.” He seemed to accept that answer, as he said nothing more on the matter.

 

The next few days lapsed similarly. The only difference was that Tyki did not wander off at all. He did, however, seem to be aloof once more. When Clark, Momo, and you pressed this matter, Tyki told the three of you not to worry. You decided to let it slide, although you tried harder to keep him smiling. You were mostly successful in this, even managing to convince him to help you prepare for your return. Leery though you were, you allowed Tyki to cut your hair once more. You stared at yourself in the mirror and shook your head; he had given you a haircut similar to his.

“You’re such a dork, Tyki,” you had remarked. He had responded in kind by splashing you with water from the sink.

Currently, you were lying across on the couch. While Eeze, Momo and Clark had gone to bed, you had found that you could not sleep. Tyki had promised to keep you company until you did pass out. A large part of you doubted you would be able to; tomorrow morning you would be heading back to the Order. You could not get it out of your mind how much you were going to miss everybody. In the same breath, however, you reminded yourself that it was necessary. For Eeze’s sake, you had to keep this job.

You peered down at Tyki, who was sitting next to the couch you were occupying. His hands were busy with something in his lap. Each time you had tried to sneak a peek, he had moved his shoulder to block your view. This time, however, he turned towards you. Startled, you leaned back on the couch. Tyki aligned his face with yours, and you stared blinking up at him. You felt something slip up your finger. Furrowing your brow, you opened your mouth to speak.

Tyki beat you to the punch. “(y/n), I just want to tell you….whenever I’m around and you’re there, I’m going to do…as much as I can to keep you safe.” Your throat felt tight, and you were forced to swallow. You did not know how to respond. Tyki pressed his lips to your forehead then backed away. His face was unreadable. “I promise.”

“Tyki…” You closed your eyes and sighed. Opening your eyes once more, you ran your gaze all over his face. He threaded his fingers in yours, and your attention fell to your finger. On it was a handmade, metal ring. “Are you proposing to me again to keep me from leaving?”

The two of you grinned at the question. He sat on the couch and you moved next to him. The two of you were once more sitting side-by-side in a position much similar to the one you had been in at the beach. 

“Not this time, lady~” You wrinkled your nose. “Or should I say, Julian~” He rubbed his chin. “Or maybe I’ll call you ‘Jules’.”

“Only if I can call you ‘SAM’ without you complaining,” you said incredulously. You were not sure how pleased you were when he nodded an ‘okay’. You held your hand out in front of you, staring at the ring. “It really is pretty, Tyki.”

“It’s a promise, (y/n), it has to be pretty.” You blinked, not commenting that the way he said that made it very suspicious; almost as though promises are dressed up prettily so that it hurts worse when they’re broken. “I’m going to keep you safe every time I’m near you.”


	7. Clowning Around

Clowning Around

You had roused from your slumber early the following morning; you could not recall exactly when you had finally lost consciousness. All the same, you were certain that you had not gotten more than five hours of rest. Rubbing your eyes, you tiptoed towards the bathroom with your clothes in hand. Once inside, you quietly closed the door and dropped your bundle onto the counter in front of you. The first thing you did was to strip out of your dirty clothes, which would be left behind; you could not very well take anything feminine to your station, else someone discover your gender.

That accomplished, you wound the wrappings around your chest tightly. A few times you winced; the few days of freedom for your breasts had been most welcome, and now you were remembering just why that was. You then pulled on your clothing and ruffled your own hair. Without a doubt, you still looked quite a bit on the feminine side; it provided you with the appearance of an adolescent male. Lucky for you, there were several effeminate males who worked for the Order. 

You cleared your throat and whispered out in what you deemed your male voice, “Good morning.” Your reflection frowned back at you. Though your disguised voice was pretty convincing, it hurt your throat to speak too long in it. Due to this, many of your comrades had gotten the impression that you were a shy, young man.

Bunching up your dirty clothes, you exited the bathroom and placed your bundle with the other laundry. Clark and Momo had already agreed previously to do up the small load you had of feminine clothing and put them away in your drawer. After tossing your clothes into the basket, you headed over to the kitchen, where you started to make a small meal for the five of you. The three men and your cousin had all insisted that they see you off to the train. By the time the bacon was sizzling on the stove, the males of the household were up; or perhaps it was due to that delicious smell? You could not say for certain.

The table was set within twenty minutes of the others waking. Tyki and Momo helped to serve up the food while Eeze, Clark and you took your seats. You smiled as you all tossed down the small meal; it was much too early to eat anything of a sizable portion. There was not a lot of time for the five of you to spend together, and so breakfast was rushed. Afterwards, Clark and Momo aided with carrying your luggage, while Tyki trailed behind them a bit. You walked even slower than him, holding onto Eeze’s hand. In all honesty, you hardly remembered even leaving the house at all.

Eeze squeezed your fingers tightly as you walked with him. You did likewise in reassurance; you did not want to leave him behind, and yet you knew you could not take him with you. Within your chest, your heart felt as though it was going to suffocate in your chest. So that’s what they called heartache, was it?

“Hey, Tyki,” you said. You blinked several times when the man in front of you stopped walking and tensed. You could have sworn that he started twitching a bit. Furrowing your brow, you tried to figure out what his problem was. Then you remembered; you had used your male voice. You bit your bottom lip and tried to keep from laughing. “Sorry,” you said, using your regular voice. “Sorry.”

He looked over his shoulder at you, and you were beyond certain that his eyes were narrowed into a light glare. Your lower lip puckered outwards into a pout. Tyki’s glare, unlike previous occasions, did not falter. 

“Look, I—”

“Where’s your ring?” You sighed, a loud huff as you realized why he was in such a sour mood this morning. You lifted a chain out from under your shirt and showed him; you had put the ring on it. There was an immediate change in his attitude. His posture relaxed, as did his face. His lips were set in a small grin. “Ah, I was worried you’d forgotten it on purpose.”

You rolled your eyes. “I’d never do that, Tyki.” He turned around and started walking once more. He, you, and Eeze quickened your paces so that you could catch up with Clark and Momo, who had not bothered to stop walking when you had. As you jogged, your hand still holding Eeze’s, you continued your former train of thought. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m holding you responsible for Eeze’s education while I’m away. And yes, that _does_ mean you’re going to have to _study_ , Tyki.” In unison with your final statement, Tyki was already commenting on how he did not like studying at all. You well knew that it was one of his least favorite things in the entire universe.

Arriving at the platform, you knew that you did not have much time to say goodbye. You gave Clark and Momo each a tight hug, which was returned in full; you thought your ribs would have broken if they had hugged any tighter. Then you moved to Tyki, ready to give him a hug. He, however, held a hand forward. You stared at it, blinking.

“Men don’t hug. Shaking hands is fine.” Tears sprung to the corners of your eyes and your stomach did a flip. Your mouth was slightly agape, your breathing coming out a bit ragged as you tried to swallow down your feelings. Tyki looked as though someone had wounded him. He flinched, recovered and rubbed the back of his head with the hand he had previously held extended to you. “I was kidding, (y/n), I was kidding!” His arms encircled your waist and he pulled you closer to him. You buried your face in his chest. Several swears, all directed at the man holding you, left your lips and were muffled by his clothes.

To be truthful, if you hadn’t been leaving at that point, you would have socked him in the gut for having done that to you. You pulled away from him a moment later and, rather than hitting him, offered a weak smile. 

At long last, you turned to your cousin. Eeze was digging his toe into the ground, his eyes focused on his feet. You wrapped yours arms snug around him, and he did the same to you. Burying your face in the crook of your cousin’s neck, you whispered advice a mother would normally give to a child who was off to their first day of school. Advice on life, which would hopefully help him during the time you were away at work. He nodded intermittently, agreeing where appropriate and promising you that he would do the best he could. The two of you were reluctant to pull away; Eeze’s hands were glued on your wrists when your embrace broke, and your lips were pressed lightly to the top of his head. The pair of you would have stayed like that forever had it not been for the train whistle signaling a soon departure.

You swallowed hard as you were forced to turn away and board the train. One last time did you turn to wave goodbye, and Clark, Momo, Eeze and Tyki waved back to you in response. Clark and Momo were smiling lightly, Eeze had a somber expression, and Tyki—he seemed to be struggling to keep a neutral face rather than frown. You were not entirely surprised at Tyki’s stance; it was obvious he was still reluctant to let you leave despite having given you the ring and promise. The train doors closed and, with nothing else to do, you moved on towards your seat to await the ticket collector.

He took several minutes in coming. In that duration you had allowed your mind to wander over the past few days you had spent home. Your lips quirked upwards into a smile, and your fingers traced along the chain that was hidden under your shirt. You clasped the ring in a fist. Only when the ticket collector arrived did you relinquish your hold. You passed the man your ticket then sat back with a small sigh. It would be a long ride to your current training station. You decided to pass by the time with a nap—after all, you had hardly had a wink of sleep the previous night.

******

You carried your bags off the train and were unsurprised when a fellow Finder greeted you. Your heart swelled at the sight of Edgar. He was one of the few young men that you had managed to befriend throughout your training. Other males were much too competitive with one another. You had strayed from any such rivalry, not wanting such a thing to result in the discovery of your gender. You inhaled through your nose, swallowed, and then manipulated your vocal cords so that you could speak using your ‘male’ voice.

“Hey, Ed,” you said, attempting to sound as casual as possible. He saluted you with a quick verbal greeting of his own. “Is Yeven already at camp?”

“Pssh, yeah,” Edgar said. His mouth pulled to one side in a smirk as he thought of his elder twin brother. “I told him that he and I should wait for you so that we could all hang, but…” He held up his hands in a shrug of defeat.

You shrugged in response, showing that it did not bother you in the least. True you and Yeven got along as well, however you had found yourself preferring the younger twin. Edgar was less vulgar than his brother, although that was not saying much. In your first week of training, you had become quite educated indeed in the ways of men. Mostly, of the manner in which they spoke of women. You partly wondered if some of their stories were just that—stories made up for the purpose of bragging. 

Edgar began to head onwards, and so you quickly followed behind. You were not much slower than your companion, although the difference in speed was visible. He was also bulkier than you, although that was none too surprising. His muscles rippled lightly under his clothes, and his disshelved brown hair reminded you something of Tyki. Personality-wise, he definitely acted more like Clark, although his likes and dislikes borderlined on Momo’s tastes. All in all, you knew it had been inevitable that you had been drawn to the man.

“Oh, hey, Julian?” Edgar started. You blinked several times, taken aback at how much like Tyki he had just sounded. All you could do was hum weakly in response to show that you were listening. “You ever been dumpster diving.”

You open gawked at him. For a moment you wondered if this were Tyki in disguise instead of Edgar, the homely man you had come to enjoy being around. Having not received a response from you, he turned around. Immediately he winced at your expression. You shook your head and attempted to regain your composure, although it took you a full twenty seconds to do so. Waving a single hand in dismissal, you apologized.

“I don’t like it either, but Yeven tossed my wallet over the junkyard gate. Figured I could use another set of eyes to help me, y’know?”

You inwardly groaned. _I’m **never** letting Tyki know about this!_ you promised yourself.

Holding back all the grumbling you had every urge to do, you acquiesced to Edgar’s request.

*******

Retrieving Edgar’s wallet from the junkyard had taken the pair of you a good half hour. From there you had gone on to your assigned station. At current you, Egar, and Yeven were looking over a notice that had been distributed to all Finders by the superiors at camp. Your brow knit together and you clenched your teeth as you read over the notice. It was not a simple matter that the paper addressed. Indeed not; the problems for the Order seemed to be on the rise. Suddenly your job as a Finder had become more dangerous. In the back of your mind, you recalled a warning Tyki had given you.

_“But being in the Order will attract more than just the Akuma to you, (y/n).”_

You inwardly shuddered. Outwardly, you inhaled deeply and allowed your gaze to travel across the faces of your two companions. The two brothers had a look borderlining on consternation and anger. All the same, they appeared slightly more eager. As though a challenge for them had just begun. You decided then and there that you would never understand men and their testosterone ways. At the same time, Yeven and Edgar’s attitudes could come in handy during the mission you had all received. Due to the news of the ‘Family of Noah’, several groups of Finders were to travel to the ten local villages and towns to see if there was any more news of the Noah. The task was to ultimately prevent any infiltration to the training grounds.

Your group consisted of yourself, Edgar, Yeven, Pita—an elder gentleman of roughly forty years of age—and Iago. After gathering the necessary tools to complete the mission—in this case, a bag filled with a day’s worth of provisions and a slight monetary allowance—the five of you set out towards your assigned town. You dropped back in rank to walk beside Edgar, meanwhile Yeven found companionship with Iago and Pita. 

Halfway to the town and several minor conversations later, Iago suddenly perked up with the comment, “I managed to bag that chick—y’remember me talking about Yvonne?” This was rewarded with nods from everyone but you. “Fucking tight ass virgin—at least she _was_!”

Whilst the four men burst into uproarious laughter, you ducked your head. Inside your boots, your toes curled. Oh, how you hated these sorts of conversations. You could already feel your face starting to heat up. Mentally, you cursed yourself and turned your head to hide the blush. None of your comrades noticed your battle as they were much too busy exchanging fist-bumps.

“Yeah, I did a girl during vacation,” Yeven said, and your heart skipped a beat. You inwardly crossed your fingers that your opinion of him would not be tarnished forever. “Acted scared then she begged for it.”

Iago laughed the loudest. “Right? They _always_ act like they don’t want it. It’s like a way for them to tease us, and they know it.”

It took all your strength to not wring your hands at that moment. The urge to slap or punch any or all of these men coiled in your stomach like a snake. You focused instead on just breathing and walking. Your attempts to act completely natural somehow drew in more attention from the other four.

“Jules, who’d you fuck why you were away?” Iago asked, a slight lilt in his voice. You shot a glare in his direction, knowing full well he was enjoying himself at your expense.

Pita chuckled. “Now, now. You aren’t still a virgin, are you, Julian?”

Again did your mind wander to Tyki. His comment _“Come on, Julian, you’re a big boy, right?”_ was at the forefront of your memory.

_I can do this! I’m not going to be the shy, virgin boy from the country that they mercilessly tease! Time to prove that Tyki was wrong; I can take care of myself! I’m soooo **not** naïve._

“I did two chicks,” you said, using the best man voice you could. You proudly puffed up your chest even though a part of you was dying on the inside. Yeven and Iago were smirking, a look of pure disbelieving on both of their faces. “At the same time.” Their eyes narrowed further. “Shoved one against the bed and put it in real hard.”

_This better be making sense. Those guys from the mines said something like this…_

With a half shrug, you continued. “The other sucked me off while I did her.”

_What the hell does that even mean? Maybe I should have asked…no. No! There is no way in **hell** I’d ask Tyki any of this!_

Pita, Iago, Yeven and Edgar were all looking at you with a new level of appreciation. And suddenly you felt your self-respect fluttering out the window, on the wind, gone, gone gone…

Edgar and you shared a fist-bump. “Very nice, Jules,” he said, elbowing you in the arm. While your body screamed for you to rub the injured area, you only laughed in mock-victory.

********

Betwixt listening in on conversations and hunting for physical clues—both of which were to aid in discovering if more information was to behad on the Noah Family—your group had also begun checking out some of the more voluptuous females in town. Your tongue curled towards the back of your throat whenever Pita made a comment regarding girls you knew were under twenty. Bile rose, however you managed to swallow it down.

“Aren’t you too old for ‘that ass’?” you asked, blinking. Your eyes then widened, and you were beyond thankful that you had subconsciously remembered to use your male voice. That question had not been meant to slip from your lips.

Pita frowned, looked you over, and quirked a single brow. “Suck it, Jules,” he said, flipping you off.

_Nooooo thank you._

You pushed off the wall that you had been leaning against. Brushing your hands on your pants, you watched a group of townsfolk that had surrounded a puppeteer’s mini theater. Your attention had been drawn to the strange characters on the stage. Before you realized what you were doing, your feet had carried you directly to the stand. A noise to your right had you glancing over your shoulder. Your tense muscles relaxed when you noticed that it was only Edgar.

“Kind of looks like the Earl,” he commented, jerking his head in the direction of a puppet on the left. “It’s actually the Auguste Clown.” 

You blinked and followed the actions of the puppets. A second clown had popped into the performance and was verbally abusing the grotesque looking Auguste Clown. Just as the white-faced clown jabbed its finger into the Auguste’s Clown chest for more chastisement, Edgar pulled you away. You glanced one final time towards the stage. (1)

“That was the closest thing with any sort of resemblance to the Noah Family today.”

Yeven nodded as you arrived in front of him. “I was just thinking the same thing. It’s been such a waste of time in this place. Let’s head back.” All five members of your group had reached a consensus.

-1-1-1-1-1-1-

1\. Just a play on the whole Earl calling Allen the white-faced clown who picks on the Auguste clown.


	8. Prelude to Purgatory

Prelude to Purgatory

It was just your luck that the men you had spent the entire day with would be sharing a tent with you. You eyed the opposite 'wall' angrily. 'Large' was not what you'd use to describe your accommodations despite what your superiors claimed. Then again, it may have been only because there would never be a tent 'large' enough for you to get enough space between you and your fellow campers. Continuing to roll out your sleeping bag, you tried your damnedest to block out their conversation, which was polluted with dirty jokes and other such filth.

Iago all but ignored you, which was just fine in your book. Edgar and Yeven only spoke to you when inquiring about the layout of how things would be in your shared tent. Pita, on the other hand, took notice of how quiet you were being. 

"Thinking 'bout them girls you left behind?" he asked. Much to your surprise, there was nothing sarcastic about his tone. So, it seemed as though he truly believed your story about 'banging' the two chicks back home after all.

You shrugged and said, as nonchalantly as you could, "Nah, just thinking about a few of the formulas those three from the science division were talking about at dinner."

"Huh." You stopped what you were doing and looked up at the elder male. Your other roommates had also had their attention dragged to him. "You saying you wanna be a nerd?"

Double-crap, you thought. You had to find a way out of this, and fast. No use getting into a fight with any of your comrades, especially seeing as how men had a tendency to talk with fists. You did your best to scoff at the question as you stood your full height, which was admittedly nothing to brag about when in the company of men.

"Dude, it just reminded me of some science jokes was all."

Edgar drew his eyebrows together while both Iago and Yeven snickered under the breath. Pita, meanwhile, kept on your case.

"Jokes, huh? Science jokes? What crap. You ever hear any good science jokes?" he asked, turning to look at the other three men in the room. Not a one of them nodded. Pita waved a hand dismissively. "I ain't ever heard of a good science joke. Hey, Jules, entertain us. Why don't you tell us a good science joke, eh? Can't, can you?"

Lordy, was this man annoying the crap out of you.

"Gold and Silver walked into a bar. The bartender yells AU get out of here!" you said. Edgar and Yeven chuckled mildly, most likely for your benefit. Pita shook his head and sighed. Iago, meanwhile, looked confused. "AU is...." You sighed, not even willing to finish your explanation.

Edgar moved closer to you, which resulted in him being between you and Pita. For this you were grateful. You were also quite thankful when he began:

"It's okay, it's okay. I got a good one. What's the difference between Chemistry and cooking?"

Pita piped up right away with: "Chemistry is man's work, cooking's a woman's job."

Oooh boy, how much you wanted to deck him right then and there. 

Yeven was next to try his hand at the answer. "The ingredients?" He sounded skeptical of his own words, almost as though he knew they weren't part of the punch-line. Iago waved his hands in front of himself when the four of you looked at him for his answer.

Edgar at last said, "In Chemistry, you should never lick the spoon."

Everyone in the tent, you included, rolled their eyes and snorted. It was such an obvious answer. Each of you released a quick chuckle as well. Not a bad joke, all in all. Although, you still could have done without Pita's smart ass response.

"The name's Bond. Covalent Bond," Edgar said next, causing the lot of you to laugh again. The good mood was contagious, which was nice.

Pita, between laughs, said, "C'mon now. A good joke now. Y'know what I mean."

Once more you were going to force yourself to swallow your dignity. At the same time, however, it was not as though you had never told the jokes before... although at that time it was repeating them to the mirror when no one else was around. The jokes had taken you aback when you had first heard them from Clark and Momo, who had not known that you were in the room.

"Okay, I got this...for real this time," you said, adding the latter portion when Pita and Iago shot you a look. "Why are quantum physicists so poor at sex?"

Pita smiled. Not because he knew the answer, you were aware, but because this was exactly the sort of joke he was waiting for. Upon realizing that there were no takers for the answer, you promptly revealed:

"Because when they find the position, they can't find the momentum; and when they have the momentum, they can't find the position."

Loud laughter filled the air. Pita slapped your on the shoulder then high-fived you. Pride swelled in your chest. Okay, maybe guys weren't so bad after all even if they were huge perverts. At least, they were fine enough when you were getting along. That, or you had become so used to this sort of behavior after living with three men and one boy at home.

"One more, one more," you said, adjusting yourself after checking your watch; it was getting late and who knew what sort of missions there were in the morning. "What's the difference between an enzyme and a hormone?"

Edgar quirked a brow, repeated the two items, and drifted off into thought. Yeven acted similarly, as did Iago. Pita, meanwhile, was eyeing you, and you were well aware that he was in doubt as to whether or not this joke would be a good one. You, however, knew that he would be disappointed in that assumption. Not that that would be a bad thing, not at all.

You waited a decent amount of time, waited until Edgar, Yeven and Iago all shrugged in defeat. Then, holding back your grin of triumph at having stumped them on an awesome joke, you said:

"You can't hear an enzyme."

Yup, you had them there. They were eating out of your hand with your jokes. All you could do was mentally thank Momo and Clark for such good material.

*******

In the morning you were first to awaken. Initially you noticed nothing other than the remnants of sleep that you proceeded to rub from your eyes. Once that was gone, however, you furrowed your brow. Fog had rolled in over night. It had managed to infiltrate your tent. You withdrew from your sleeping bag, dressed promptly, and slipped outside. Sure enough, the fog ran through the entire camp and rendered visibility severely limited.

Squinting as you walked, you were not entirely surprised when you bumped into several others who was likewise investigating the cause of the fog. You could not recall anything that would have predicted such a forecast this morning.

"What's going on? Did the science division mess with shit again?" you heard someone ask. Similar questions were flying around, and you were beginning to wonder the same thing.

 _The hell is going on?_ Goosebumps were gathering on your arms and legs. A chill was crawling up your spine. Something about this seemed...ominous. There was something deeper going on here, and you weren't the only one to come to this conclusion.

You stopped in your tracks when one of your superiors shouted for order across the camp. Everyone froze where they were to heed the remainder of his announcement to gather everyone in the center of camp within the following twenty minutes. With a nod to yourself, you retreated in the direction of your tent to awaken your comrades. When you arrived you found that Pita had already awoken and was in the process of rousing the others. You aided him in this task, and the five of you headed for the designated area together.

A ripple of whispers was passing through the gathered crowd. You were not immune to the shiver it sent up your spine, and you shuddered.

Though you could see only a silhouette in the form of your superior, you knew the moment he took the stand to address the camp. Everyone did, and so stood at attention. His voice boomed above the crowd:

"We have lost communication with three of the surrounding towns." Your stomach plummeted within you. "Furthermore, an akuma was sighted--and destroyed--three miles out from camp at 0430 this morning. There are exorcist teams headed for the towns, and we are to provide them with backup. You will investigate portions of the towns in rotation, the shifts to be determined and distributed by Ihvann.

"You stick to your designated area and conduct your search in the allotted time. A group of more experienced finders is with each exorcist team to provide them further protection. You trainees are not to get in their way or confront them unless directly requested by Ihvann, myself, or the exorcists themselves. Is this understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the chorus rang through the camp, your voice drowned out by the others.

Heartbeat increased, you went through the motions of readying yourself for your mission. Who knew who you would be paired up with? In the end, that did not matter so much as the location to where you would be headed. The appearance of an akuma that close to camp could mean one of three things: the Earl wanted to destroy the potential Finders; the Earl had caught wind of Innocence nearby; or the Earl simply wanted to cause murder and mayhem. How sickening it was to know that the final possibility seemed most likely.

 _I just hope that the people of those three towns are okay_ , you thought whilst gritting your teeth. You would not--could not--allow your mind to wander along that path. The akuma had had to come from somewhere, after all. Shaking your head, you took a deep breath. It was time to get your orders.


	9. Lolita in Purgatory-Land

Lolita in Purgatory-Land

Quiet and calm slowly eroded by the pitter-patter, drip-drop of occasional droplets of rain. Slowly did they grow in volume, in number. The puddles upon the ground all remained translucent or muddy; but no blood, never any gore. For this you and your comrade, Iago, were grateful. The pair of you had set out towards your designated investigation point a mere twenty minutes previous. The walk was slow, tiresome work that was made more taxing by both the fog and the growing storm. Your footsteps were punctuated with sloshes and suction-cuplike noises as the mud adhered to your shoes. Neither you nor Iago commented on these trivial matters. No, you were both much too focused on working to make out what was in front of you.

The pair of you traveled without uttering a single word to one another. The silence, you found, was comforting. Silence meant that neither of you were attempting to warn the other of danger, of tragedy. If the entire trip transpired in this manner, you would have nothing to complain about.

Iago and you both pulled your hoods up further to keep the rain out of your eyes. Not that it could do much damage, with the way the fog seemed to be thickening the further you went. Iago took the lead by three steps. You knew he was acting as a guard against you being the first one attacked should anything happen. You were, after all, much smaller than him. For this you were thankful; it seemed this man truly stepped up to the plate when the time came.

He was first to step onto the stone bridge, the first to cause echoes to reverberate through the dense fog. The river below seemed to answer by lapping more noisily against the banks. You blinked slowly, moved forward onto the bridge as well, and chanced a glance over towards the water. Shadows swirled in your vision, nothing distinct, nothing to cause you worry. How strangely serene the place felt despite its ominous atmosphere. You ran a hand over the rail and took measured steps forward. The smell of moisture assaulted your nose, followed by something...something thicker. Also smokey, this new scent caused you to breath deeply then cough. 

_It's first rotation,_ you reminded yourself. _Who knows what we'll find?_

"Jules, stop looking in the water," Iago said. You frowned at the sound of his voice. His tone was terse, or perhaps shaky. The next second you could hear him swallowing thickly, gagging, and swallowing some more. "Just don't... It's pretty bad, and I don't need you losing your breakfast."

A large part of you wondered how he was even able to see anything that resided in the river. The rest of you took to heart his warning, and you averted your eyes. "Do you know what happened here then?" you asked, struggling to maintain your male voice as more of the residue entered your mouth. Wincing, you spat it into your open palm. Despite raising your hand towards your face, you could make out nothing.

Iago stopped walking, a fact which you knew only when you nearly crashed into him. The pair of you took a quick moment to put on your face masks, which allowed you to breathe better. Only then did your comrade make an attempt at answering your inquiry.

"They're charred. All the bodies in the water...I don't know if they died from the smoke inhalation or from the burns," Iago said through gritted teeth.

You shuddered, realizing then and there that the fog hadn't grown thicker; it had mingled with the smoke from the fire that had massacred all those people. At the same time, you mentally thanked any and all deities out there that you had not seen the bodies yourself. You doubted you would have been able to keep in a horror-filled scream or the vomit that would have been sure to rise from your stomach.

The two of you, nearing the opposite side of the bridge, stopped short when you saw a hunched-over figure at the end. Your hands tightened around the front of your shirt. A million thoughts ran through your head, not a one of them pleasant. Iago took the initiative and stepped forward a single step. He cleared his throat then said, loudly but without yelling:

"Are you alright there?"

The silhouette moved. Both you and Iago tensed, bracing yourselves for an attack should this prove to be a foe. Your brow furrowed when you noticed how small the figure was, how short. A cli-clack noise echoed. Small heels upon the stone bridge. Heels that perhaps a young girl would wear. Eyes roaming over the approaching figure, you noted that it was likely, indeed, a young girl. One who was wearing a skirt or perhaps a shorter dress--no, no, a skirt was more likely. And true it was that when she was visible--albeit, barely--through the fog she was wearing an expensive-looking black skirt. Your eyes dropped to her shoes, small black heels. A fancy white shirt that was grayed in many areas due to the soot that covered the majority of its surface. Even her face, beautiful and somewhat pale, was blemished by the ashes.

That face, you realized with a start, was somewhat familiar. You wracked your mind for but a manner of seconds before placing it. This was the girl you had seen Tyki talking to at the beach. The girl who had given you such a strange feeling. Just who was she?

She cocked her head to the side and blinked slowly. Her lips parted slightly but no words escaped her. You weren't entirely surprised by this. Who knew what sort of horrors she had seen? People burned alive...buildings burned...

The fog was beginning to thin at long last, slowly--ever so slowly. Houses were charred, blackened and a few still burning. Iago and you took in these sights. You felt so small in comparison with the size of destruction to be had. What the hell had happened here? Why had the akuma destroyed this place?

"Who...are you?" the girl asked slowly. Your gaze returned to her. Her hands were crossed one of the other on her lap as she stood there staring at you and Iago. Her voice was quiet, and noticeably affected by the polluted air she was breathing in. 

"We're..." Iago started. His voice trailed off and he was unable to complete his sentence. No doubt because of how aback he was taken over the entire situation. Sure, you had both thought yourselves prepared for the worse. But when the time came and you were presented with such a situation, shock still raged its war.

You swallowed, struggled for a moment to ready yourself to use your male voice, and at last said, "...here to help."

She turned her head to look at the scene of destruction. Her face was completely unreadable, no doubt from shock. You wondered briefly if she had witnessed her family burning to death. Or perhaps a loving family pet. Stomach acid rose up your throat. Swallowing, you banished all related thoughts from your mind.

"H-here," you said whilst removing a spare mask from your bag. You stepped closer to her, and aided her in placing it over her mouth. Her hands, smaller than yours although not by much, touched the back of your gloves. Her eyes were glued to your masked face. She took a deep breath of the fresh air the mask provided her. "Are you hurt at all?"

"No." Her soft voice rushed over you. Once more you had to put a lid on your thoughts, keeping then from wandering down what sort of horrors had transpired in this town. 

"If your home around here?" you asked.

Iago moved closer to the pair of you and squatted so that he was closer to the girl's height. "Why'd you come to the bridge? Did something chase you here?"

"..." The girl breathed deeply then said nothing. Her eyes searched Iago's face before returning to yours. For some reason she seemed most interested in your countenance. A confused expression remained etched on her porcelain-like features.

"Come on," Iago said at last, raising up and standing. He pulled out his radio-golem that had been provided to your team. He moved a few inches to the right and allowed his eyes to drop to the river, filled with all those bodies. You listened as he contacted your base, as he spoken with Ihvann about the corpses, burnt buildings, and about the girl you had just found. The question of any other survivors from your superior echoed in your mind. "I...we haven't looked yet, sir."

The girl placed her hand in yours. You instinctively closed your fingers around the limb. Living with Eaze, you were so used to holding the hand of a child. You looked down at her and found that she was facing towards the town, her eyes set on the charred buildings. All the while the fog was continuing to lift, to reveal the extent of the damage. She seemed unaffected, unsurprised. This did not quite sit well in your stomach for reasons you could not describe.

Ihvann, over the radio, promised that more teams were being sent. Your job, as a pair, was to wait on the bridge with the girl until they arrived. Then you were to return with her while other possible survivors were sought. After all, you did not have the proper equipment to save any lives. The new teams would. As for the corpses in the river, they would be fished out and identified--if possible--before being disposed of. No use having an entire graveyard of possible akuma fodder.

Iago returned to your side. He ran his eyes over the girl then looked at you. It took you a few seconds to notice, to see with your peripheral vision that he was staring at you. You whipped your attention to him. 

"What?" 

"You don't have...a Lolita-complex, do you?" he asked. The girl's attention was drawn to the pair of you. You, meanwhile, took a single step backwards and raised up a single hand similar in position to a half-shrug. Just as you were about to ask 'what the hell?' he continued on. "This isn't the proper place for it."

You shook your head and rolled your eyes. Great. So somehow this day got worse. Not only were you in an annihilated town...or on the outskirts, on a bridge under which bodies continued to swim past, now your ally believed you to be some sort of pervert. Where he had gotten that idea, you weren't sure. Guy-logic sure did seem to suck.

The girl, still holding your hand, rocked back and forth on her feet. "I should really get home." 

Your heart sank. Iago seemed just as affected and released a deep breath after holding it in for a few seconds. "Hun," you started. You hesitated, trying to think of the best way to say it. "I don't... That's not a good place to be right now."

She threaded her finger between yours simultaneous to rocking forward. This resulted in you being pulled somewhat closer. Her face was close to yours. Her eyes were about all you could see, your line of vision obscured by the top half of her face, the portion not blocked by the mask you had put on her. There was something about her eyes...the way they appeared to be almost smiling, as though a fantastic joke had been told.

You gasped out, a wet gurgle erupting from you. Her hand rubbed along your shoulder, her fingers dipping along an object that protruded from you. "I wanna go home," she said softly. Shuddering, your body naturally lurched forward. You found yourself flipping over the rails of the bridge. Your grip on her hand tightened. With a startled scream, she fell with you. The two of you, as you plummeted and splashed into the water, heard Iago's startled shout.


	10. Crush(ed)

Crush(ed)

Underwater, you relinquished your hold on the girl's hand in favor of grasping at various floating objects--various bodies, you soon realized. Wincing internally, you used one charred corpse to pull your torso out of the water. You shuddered, the cold, filthy water lapping at the wound along your shoulder. You looked down at it; nothing more than a small gash--deep, no doubt--that continued to leak blood. Nothing major, but stitches were likely to be needed. Half a second later you heard a sputtering sound. The little girl had managed to hoist her upper-body out of the water as well. 

She glowered at you and said pathetically, "You nearly drowned me!"

You furrowed your brow. Had you been imagining things? Was she not the one who had given you the injury? 

When she reached out for your hand, you instinctively held it out for her to grab hold. Gritting your teeth through the pain it caused, you pulled the girl over to your side. The pair of you held onto the corpse whilst kicking your legs under water to stay afloat. You felt something poke at your wound and let out a sharp hiss. A most innocent voice asked:

"Oh, what happened?" She seemed genuinely concerned, you noted. Maybe falling debris had been the culprit? "You're bleeding all over me."

"S-sorry," you managed to say with your male voice. You were not entirely sure why you were apologizing for something you had no control over. Shaking your head, you cleared your thoughts of anything other than a way to get out of the water. Who knew what sort of diseases you could get in it. You turned your attention to a small bank that was a yard and a half away. Glancing back at the little girl, you held out your hand for her. She accepted after a moment's hesitation. You then proceeded to swim, mostly using your legs, to the desired location. 

Once there you rose out of the water. You clasped a hand over your shoulder wound. Sure enough, it was still dripping blood. With a frown, you peered in the direction of the bridge. Iago was looking over the side, his eyes on the two of you. He looked...relieved. Somewhat, that is, until he noticed your condition. Throwing a look towards the town, he abandoned his post on the bridge to run towards you. In the meantime, you knelt in place and looked over the little girl, who had a few gashes on her legs from the fall.

"Just...stay put," you said slowly, the pain in your shoulder worsening as the cool breeze blew against your drenched body. "We'll get you cleaned up and then...then you can go home."

She huffed, pouted, but ultimately complied. She sat down beside you while the two of you waited for Iago to arrive. He was quick in coming, drawing up to you in less than two minutes' time. He drew bandages out of his kit; he did not bother to ask you about your supplies, knowing full well how useless they would be after your fall. He bound up your shoulder as best he could. The two of you knew it would only be temporary; once the medics arrived, they would take care of you. You cringed at the thought, aware that you would have to be extra careful lest your true gender be revealed.

Next Iago moved onto the girl. While he gently cleaned off her scrapes, you went through and placed small bandages on them. She leaned her head on your good shoulder while she was taken care of. Her eyes started to drift close, and you paused in your actions. She appeared so innocent and you had to ask yourself once more: she could not possibly have been the one to injure you, could she?

"Julian," Iago said in a whisper. Neither of you could tell if she had fallen asleep or not. "Did you see what hit you? I didn't... I couldn't see anything."

You pressed your lips together tightly, once again forcing your mind to go over those brief moments before you felt the stabbing pain. What had been inside of your shoulder, and when had it dislodged itself for that matter? Unable to come up with an answer, you only shook your head in response to Iago's inquiry.

You coughed into your fist. The action caused your shoulder to jerk forward. It throbbed in response, and you held back a groan. You felt the girl's eyes on you. She was not asleep after all. Why was it, you wondered, that she was so interested in you? In fact, she seemed confused whenever she looked at you. As though she were trying to place your face. 

_Please don't recognize me,_ you inwardly pleaded, recalling once more that you had met her on the beach with Tyki. That meant that she had seen you undisguised--as a female. It would ruin everything if she was able to place your face.

The three of you waited in the eerie silence on the outskirts of the ruins. After a time the other teams of finders, including the medics, arrives. Hearing of your predicament, one of the medical specialists came to your side. He undid the bandages Iago had previously put on you then aided you in slipping your shoulder out of your clothing. Lucky you were that the injury had not been situated just inches lower; your gender would not have remained a secret.

You clenched your hands into fists and held back your yelps as the medic proceeded to clean the wound with anti-bacterial wipes. He then pressed a needle into your shoulder twice around the edges of the wound, numbing the area. You watched as he readied the needle for the stitches. From your peripheral vision you could see that the little girl was _very_ interested in the sight of you getting your stitches. Goosebumps rose on your flesh as you prayed it was only normal childish curiosity that kept her eyes glued to you in that manner.

She was treated next by the medic, her scrapes and cuts being properly cleaned and examined by the professional. New bandages were placed atop them.

Once finished with the examination, the medic gave the three of you the 'okay' to return to camp. There Ihvann was awaiting your arrival. You eyed the girl as this news was revealed. Would she protest again? You knew she wanted to go home, however you could not simply release her so easily. Hoping she understood this, you reached down for her hand. Your heart skipped a beat when she immediately accepted, her fingers entwining in yours and a small smile forming on her face. She batted her lashes at you twice.

Blinking, you attempted to dismiss the action but were unsuccessful when Iago snickered and elbowed you lightly. 

"Shut up," you grumbled under your breath. He only smirked and set off at a decent pace. You followed, the girl walking at your side and holding your hand all the while.

******

"You're really strong~" the girl said in a sing-song voice as she followed you around camp. You cringed at the unwanted eyes that zoomed in your direction. 

Subsequent to looking over the girl and getting her statement, Ihvann had left her in your charge until her parents could be contacted. It seems she had been on her way to visit a family friend in town when the destruction had occurred. Who would have thought that Minister Kamelot's daughter would be mixed up in this? You looked over at Road but said nothing. Meanwhile, she was plucking up a flower that had been on the ground. She twirled it around, smelled it, and looked at you. Her smile widened. You held back a groan.

"I bet the other men wouldn't be up and around like you are if they were hurt," she said, rushing to your side. You noticed her eyes flash between your bandaged wound and your face. No longer wearing your mask, you had to better control your facial expressions. Road sighed like a love-struck puppy as she slipped her hand in yours. Blush covered your cheeks, deepening as many of your comrades smiled knowingly at you, chuckled at your expense, or winked. At the very least, you had to give them credit for not whistling.

You cleared your throat, at last responding, "I'm sure they could manage just fine."

"I don't know~" She released your hand and skipped a few paces forward. Then, giggling, she twirled around and faced you. Her head was cocked partway to the side and her hands were clasped behind her back. She had tucked the flower in her ear. "You're the kind of guy I'd want to marry~"

You were no longer quite sure if it was possible for your face to get any redder. It was also becoming increasingly harder for you to maintain your male voice. You had never been the object of a child's crush...at least not to your knowledge. And definitely not to a child like Road, who was openly flirting with you. The fact that you were actually female also made things awkward. Hoo boy, Shakespeare would be having a field day if he were here.

"Do you think my flower is pretty?" she asked, twirling a strand of her hair with a single finger.

"Yeah, Jules, what do you think about her flower?" Pita asked as he walked by. You glowered at him but to no avail.

Turning back to Road, you relaxed your features. "Yes, it's very pretty."

"Prettier than me?" She seemed so chipper. And she definitely knew how to fish for compliments, that you had to admit.

Blinking, you said, "No...you're prettier." Being female, you knew exactly what sort of compliments she wanted. You decided to play into her ego for the time being. After all, it would be devastating to cause trouble between Minister Kamelot and the Order all because you wouldn't play along with his daughter's crush. "You're a very beautiful girl, Road."

She rocked back and forth on her feet, seemingly pleased. Next second she was at your side once again, her arms wrapped around yours. It was strange for you to play the gentleman in this manner. Still, you did so to best of your ability and led her around camp while allowing her to dictate the directions in which you were to go.

"Did you find what hurt your shoulder?" she asked after a time. You shook your head in response, at which point she only hummed.

Several seconds elapsed before you gathered enough courage to ask her, "Did you see what it was?"

"What what was?" she said, blinking up at you.

Half a breath transpired before you replied, "Whatever hurt me. Did you see what it was?"

"I think..." She paused, peered at your bandaged wound, and pursed her lips forward. "When I grabbed onto you, I think I felt something kind of small...like a stake." You frowned and thought this over. She seemed to do the same thing before continuing on. "Maybe it fell out when you filpped us over the bridge into the water?"

Oh great, her version of the story was likely to get you into loads of trouble with the Minister. You gulped at the thought. You could see the papers now: Minister declares war on Black Order due to Finder flipping his daughter off the bridge. Yup, that's roughly how it would read.

Emerging from your thoughts, you found that Road was staring at you expectantly. You tilted your head to the side, hoping that she would repeat whatever it was she had said. Lucky and unlucky for you, she did not disappiont. "Have you ever kissed a girl?"

"Uh..." Wow. You had nearly spilled the beans and exclaimed 'of course not!' That would have been tragic, what with the fact that Yeven and Pita were only a few feet away. You cleared your throat then tried again. "Yes. A few girls."

Road clasped onto the hand of your good shoulder with both of her hands. She tugged your hand closer to herself, resulting in your whole body moving with it. You were bent over slightly. She tilted her head up, her face close to yours. Inside you were swearing up a storm and scrambling to find a way out of this situation. This was also not the sort of impression you wanted to leave the Minister with. Yes, you could see this now as well: Minister declares war Black Order due to Pedophile Finder fondling his daughter.

You pulled back and noticed instantly the hurt that crossed her features at having been rejected. Trying to keep the damage to a minimum, you said, "I'll bet a pretty girl such as yourself would love some chocolate."

"Cho..chocolate?" She sounded skeptical, and rightly so. All the same, you nodded and promised her that you would be getting her some. You offered your arm for her, and she gladly accepted the offer without hesitation. That was when you knew it was official; you had managed to gain the affection of a girl. Fan-freaking-tastic.

Walking in the direction of your tent, wherein you were sure were at least a few bars of the candy, you hummed lightly. "Oh yes. I have some chocolate for you." After you said that, you felt even more like a creeper. "And then maybe I could introduce you to some of my friends." Perhaps, you thought, she would become interested with one of them instead.

 _I miss the days when I only had to worry about Tyki's perverted ways,_ you thought with a light sigh. _Now there's a little girl trying to get me to kiss her._

The same little girl, you reminded yourself, that you had originally suspected of being the one to injure you. Not entirely sure anymore, you could only keep busy until her father arrived. As well as his body guards, naturally.

_Let's hope he doesn't have the guards beat me up if and when his daughter confesses her new-found interest in me._

"It's a really nice camp you have here," Road said as the pair of you entered your tent. You shrugged in reply and busied yourself with finding a bar of chocolate for her. You handed it to her. Opening the candy, she glanced over her shoulder towards the rest of the camp outside. "It's a nice location too! My daddy always tells me you have to place these things strategically."

You blinked twice before reminding yourself that it should come as no surprise that the daughter of the Minister should know these things. If you weren't positive of her identity--and you were quite positive she was indeed the daughter of Minister Kamelot--you would have taken to believe she was a spy.

"Does he now?" 

She nodded, taking a bite of the chocolate and licking her lips. "Mm-hmm~"

"He must be awfully worried about you being here after hearing about what happened to the town," you said whilst sitting down. Road's face was neutral. She drifted off into thought for but a moment before shrugging. "You don't think so?"

She giggled, an innocent sound that reminded you of bells chiming. Her voice was quite musical, you had to admit. "My daddy would never let anything happen to me. None of my family would~"

"You must be really close to your family," you said with a smile. You could not help but think of your own family. Eaze, Momo, Clark, and Tyki.

Thinking of her own family, Road smiled fondly as well. "Yes. We're very close." Suddenly her eyes widened and she practically jumped into your lap; that is, her hands were on either of your knees and she was leaning over, her face maybe four inches from yours. "Am I the kind of girl you'd introduce to your family?"

"Uh..." You definitely were not sure how to respond to that. "You seem nice, yes. I think my family would...like...you..." The memory of Tyki talking with her had arisen. Technically speaking, you noted, Road had already met at least one member of your family. "Yup. I know at least one person who'd love you."

She laughed gleefully. You stiffened as Road turned around and settled against you, forcing her body between your legs so that she could lay against your stomach. "Hey...Julian?"

"Hmm?"

"I can't wait 'til my daddy meets you~" You could wait...you could definitely wait for that. Inwardly, you were groaning. You could see it now; the Minister was going to _hate_ you the moment he saw what sort of attention you were getting from his little girl.


	11. Mission Start; Enter the Eccentric Uncle

Mission Start; Enter the Eccentric Uncle

Minister Kamelot, upon being contacted, requested that his daughter be taken care of until he could retrieve her the following day. You were unsurprised that he would be unable to pick her up the same day, yet surprised that he would be able to make such a trip in a short amount of time. Then again, you noted, love knew no bonds. The girl, therefore, was placed in your care for the night. She slept beside you in your tent. Edgar and Yeven had moved some of their things to make room for the girl, who had attempted to convince you it would be much better if the two of you shared a single sleeping bag. Due to this, you found yourself awake most of the night in a paranoid state that Road might slip into your bag during the night. This failed to occur, for which you were grateful.

In the morning you had proceeded to do your tasks around camp. Road followed you all the while, continuing to comment on how well-off you were doing what with your injury. You tried to brush off the compliments despite growing increasingly flattered. A part of you wondered if others would have been stopped by the injury. At one point, while Road was off getting some breakfast with Yeven, you asked Edgar about the matter. He had answered that yes, some men would not have been able to do what you were doing. The injury, after all, tended to limit movement. He was surprised you were doing as well as you were.

"It's the pain medication," you said with a grin. Edgar laughed in response, shook his head, and the two of you continued with your tasks.

Later in the day, Ihvann had called you into his tent while Road was looked after by Edgar. Sitting across from him, you were utterly silent as he continued with his work as though you were not there. His pen flew across the paper, signing here and making corrections there. Once or twice his eyes darted up and he stole a glance at you. Otherwise he remained preoccupied. Only after he was finished with his task did he set aside the stack of papers in favor of addressing you. He explained, at length, that hints of activity from the Noah family were present in a nearby town. Luckily, he said, transportation would be provided by the family Kamelot, who would be staying there for a time after retrieving Road. It seemed that they wanted to give their daughter a small vacation of sorts after what had occurred in the town.

You and another Finder, one with more experience, would be traveling together. Upon seeing the confused expression on your face, he put to rest any questions you were about to ask. Separating you from Road before the trip could mean her acting out and thus convincing her father to no longer aid the Order's cause. You refrained from commenting on this at all, although your feelings on the matter were strong. You rather hated using the girl's emotions, as well as your misery, in this way. All the same, you could find no logical reason to argue.

You sighed and exited the tent. Ihvann walked at your side, handing you your travel papers and any other documents you would be needing during your mission. He outlined the fact that Road's parents would be occupying one carriage while Road, her uncle, and you and the other finder would be in the other. Tricia Kamelot was weak and so would need her rest, especially after such a long journey. The Minister's bodyguards would also be in their carriage. You nodded throughout this explanation, and in a short matter of time you arrived at your tent.

Ihvann bid you adieu and left to allow you time to pack your things. You had only an hour left to be ready before the Kamelot family arrived. Hurriedly you packed all your necessities then squeezed in a few luxury items, such as candies for the trip. You never knew when you'd be stuck in the middle of nowhere dying of hunger. On that note, you also tucked in a small book to read and an extra thing of water. There, no dying of starvation or dehydration for you. Or boredom, for that matter.

The other Finder, Paolo, and Road sat on either side of you as the three of you waited for Minister Kamelot and his family to arrive. The girl was once again glued to your side, her hands on your arm and her head on your shoulder. 

"Are you excited for your trip?" Paolo asked, leaning forward so that he could see Road's face past your body. The girl turned her attention to him and gave a nonverbal answer in the affirmative. "With your whole family too, huh. Sounds nice."

"Yup," she said wistfully. The next moment she wrinkled her nose. "Although Uncle Tyki's probably going to be off doing something weird like usual."

Your heart skipped a beat, perhaps several, at the name. You had visibly jumped, causing both Paolo and Road to look at your face. It could only be a coincidence, right? Her mentioning his name...and the fact that you had _seen_ them together. Also, Tyki had been so dodgy about the girl's identity. Was it because she really was his niece? Your heart was racing in your chest at the very idea. It would ultimately explain why he was able to bring you such nice gifts whenever he returned from his "missions". Perhaps those so-called missions were nothing more than him returning to his real family. Your throat felt tight.

"Are you okay, Julian?" Road asked, her hands grasping at the front of your shirt. Still, she was careful to not touch your wound. 

"A-ah, yeah," you said and forced a smile. "I was just wondering how bad this eccentric uncle of yours truly can be. Strange stuff, you say?"

"Yeah," she said, leaning back and sighing. You and Paolo exchanged a look and smiled at one another. Pouting a bit as she spoke, Road continued with an explanation of his strange habits. "Sometimes he goes off and dresses like a hobo, you see?" Your stomach churned. "He even fished out all our koi and ate them!" Nausea and vertigo threatened to overtake you. You placed your hands firmly against the ground, trying to keep yourself stable. He had been lying to you this whole time! And here his niece...his niece wanted to marry you.

 _It could still be a completely different Tyki,_ you tried to reason with yourself, although you knew the likelihood of that was extremely low. You blew your hair out of your face. _I'll just wait until I know for certain...and if it is him...I'm going to use this to my advantage somehow. After I beat the crap out of him!_

Road, seemingly oblivious to your internal struggle, slipped her hand into yours and laced your fingers together. Unconsciously, you had tightened the embrace and started to rub your thumb up and down the length of the back of her hand, similar to the way you would with Eaze. She smiled at the attention you were unknowingly paying her.

When the carriages were in sight, the three of you stood. You had your bag slung over your good arm and held onto Road's hand with your other. She was careful to not yank on you, for which you were grateful; most children tended to forget about injuries rather easily. Paolo held onto his bags with one hand and the documents needed to be handed over to the Minister in the other. First the Minister's carriage was opened, and he stepped out. He turned around, said something to his wife and then turned around. The door was them promptly closed, and you knew that Tricia would not be making an appearance at that time. Next, with your heart beating rapidly in your chest, you watched as the door to the second carriage was opened. You felt as though the organ plummeted into your abdomen when Tyki-- _your_ Tyki--stepped out.

He was impeccably dressed, his suit full and complimented with a top hat. Truthfully, if it wasn't for the current circumstances and the fact that he had _lied_ to you, you would have found him most dashing. As it was, however, you found him to be the lowest creature on the face of the Earth. How could he? How could this man be leading a double-life like he was? When there was Eaze and--who the _fuck_ was keeping up with Eaze's studies if Tyki was here right now? Oh, you were beyond seething at this point, and it took all of your willpower to keep yourself in-check. No need to blow your cover over him.

Minister Kamelot and Tyki made their way over to the three of you. Road relinquished her hold on you and ran to her father, who scooped her up most lovingly... almost _too_ lovingly, you might say. Weirded out by this, you turned your attention to Tyki, who was in the process of introducing himself to Paolo and you.

Paolo said his own name in response then the two looked at you. This was it. He would recognize you by your name. After all, he had seen it all over your bags and had even teased you about it. "Julian," you said curtly, inclining your head in a brief nod. He blinked several times and then narrowed his eyes. His hand went to his chin, which he rubbed. There was no mistaking that gesture; he was trying to remember why that name was so familiar. _So we're all just forgettable, is that it, Tyki? Well, I'll make you rue the day you were born for this! Stupid Tyki!_

"I think I met a guy named Julian once," he said thoughtfully. He hummed a few times, continuing to try to place the name. 

While he did so, Minister Kamelot led everyone towards the carriages. He thanked you personally for taking care of his daughter after listening to Road's story of how well you had watched over her. You told him it was nothing, but when he insisted you accepted his thanks with grace. You, Paolo, Tyki and Road were then left to enter the carriage the four of you would be sharing while Minister Kamelot went to his wife's side. She was feeling rather exhausted, he admitted.

You and Paolo sat side-by-side while Tyki and Road did similarly. When Tyki was the one to sit across from you, Road openly complained but was ignored by her uncle. Instead, he was staring at you with that same, intense look. Trying to place your face. You decided to give him the benefit of the doubt; maybe he honestly didn't believe he'd find you in this sort of setting. But still, how could he not recognize you?

"What do you do then?" Tyki asked at last when an awkward silence had enveloped the carriage, which had begun to move.

Attempting to keep your face and voice neutral, uninterested, you said, "Reconnaissance missions mostly." You had purposely chosen vocabulary that would cause Tyki to pause. He frowned at first then smiled a sly smile you could not remember ever seeing from him. 

"Oh?"

"Yes," you replied, your eyes narrowing slightly.

"So you're a peon, is that it?" he prodded. "Lower rank? Lowest rank?"

Beside you, Paolo grumbled. Tyki backed off the topic, raising his hands in front of himself defensively. Road elbowed her uncle in response to his teasing. She defended you, insisting that your job was quite important. Tyki blinked several times, obviously surprised by his niece's interest in you.

"Do you always try to seduce little girls?" he asked, turning back to you. There was something in his voice, a growing anger, that caused chills to run up your spine. You had never seen Tyki irritated this way so quickly.

You, however, were beyond frustrated and angry with the man. Therefore, you decided to not let him have his way with this conversation. "Road said you often dress as a Hobo. How's the vagabond life anyhow? Must be awfully lonely." You were prodding, of course you were. How could you not? However, you were going to play this smartly.

"As a matter of fact," Tyki said, leaning close to you and taking a cigarette out of his pack. He lit it up, took a drag, and finally finished, "I have my own little Hobo-family!"

 _So that's what he thinks of us? Tyki, you ass-wipe!_ Keeping on him, however, you licked your lips. "Yeah? A whole family, huh? Like some mice and fleas?"

He glowered, his eyes running along your face. You could tell he _knew_ he should recognize you. After a moment, he drew back and shook his head. Road had occupied herself with playing 'I Spy' with Paolo, who was also listening in on your conversation.

"No, two friends, a kid...and a girl." 

"Oh, a girl?" You snickered. "She a nice girl? Give it up easy to you?" You could honestly _not_ believe you were talking about yourself this way. Still, you knew that you had take advantage of this. Best to see how Tyki talks about you when you're not around. 

"Hey!" he said, drawing up into a better posture. Your heart skipped a beat as he continued by saying, "She's a good lady!" The fondness in his voice frustrated you, if you were to be perfectly honest. It would have been so much easier if he had talked crap about you. If he didn't seem genuinely invested in how you were spoken about. He was living a double-life, for Pete's sake! What gave him the right to...to actually care about you?

Huffing, you turned your head and watched out the window. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see that Tyki was still watching you. You were beginning to wonder just how long it was going to take for him to recognize you. It was only a matter of time. Despite being an idiot sometimes, Tyki was rather good with faces if you gave him enough time. In truth, he had a better memory than you did when it came to recognizing people.

"Anyway," Tyki said, waving his hand as if to clear the air of the awkwardness between the two of you, "what sort of homelife gave birth to such an irritable boy?"

Boy, huh? The thought instantly aroused a memory in you, one that almost had you grinning. Almost, that is, except for the fact that memories with Tyki in them also left a sour taste in your mouth at the time. "Oh, I'm a _big_ boy," you said, grinning mischeiviously as you turned to him once more.

His eyes narrowed further. Then, you knew, something in his head clicked. The way his eyes bulged, the way he choked on his cigarette after practically inhaling the smokestick. He spat it out the window as Road and Paolo both asked if he was okay. Instead of answering them, he swore under his breath several times. You weren't quite sure whether or not Paolo or Road heard, but you did. Every single colorful word that slipped from his lips, you heard. Similarly, you were able to see his face turn red from panic, frustration, and anger. He glared at you, his eyes running over your face again.

Gathering his bearings, he relaxed once more in his seat, a grin tugging at his lips and revealing his teeth. "A big boy, eh~?" Yup, that was the playful tone you knew.

"Yup!" Road said, giggling. The pair of you looked at her, watching as she swung her legs back and forth without kicking Paolo. "He's the kind of boy I'm going to marry~"

That same playful tone. You weren't quite sure how you didn't realize it sooner that this girl bore some relation to Tyki. While you were preoccupied with that thought, Tyki looked at you with a panicked expression. Then he found the situation to his amusement. Chuckling, he shook his head.

"Really now, Jules~ Stealing the hearts of little girls all around, are you~?"

"Why, Mr. Mikk," you said, knowing exactly what you wanted to tell him. "It's better than breaking them, don't you think?"

Having said that, having revealed your hurt to the culprit in front of you, you turned in your seat. You watched out the window at the landscapes, which were beautiful. Flowers were in bloom, which was a nice change from that morning's view of all the corpses.

********

After spending the remainder of your trip in awkward silence, which Paolo and Road tried unsuccessfully to remedy, the carriages pulled up in front of the hotel at which you would all be staying for the night. Tomorrow you would all take the last half of your trip. For the time being, however, hotel rooms were in order. Minister Kamelot, along with his wife and daughter, would be occupying one room. Their bodyguards would be positioned in rooms on either side of them. Tyki, you and Paolo would take up the final room. You swore under your breath at your luck. You had been hoping to get a night away from the man.

You holed yourself up in your bed while Paolo and the others went to get some dinner. Tyki, naturally, stayed by your side. You glared at him from across the room and wrapped your blankets tighter around yourself. Taking a swig of water from your bottle, you popped one of your pain pills. To say the ride had been murder on your shoulder would have been an understatement. You swallowed the pill then closed your eyes and rolled your neck, wincing while waiting for the drug to take its effect.

"Fuck, (y/n)!" Tyki hissed after five minutes elapsed of the pair of you being alone. You kept your eyes closed and tried to banish his voice from your thoughts. You focused on your breathing, keeping it deep yet level. In through your nose, out through your mouth. This helped you to minimize the pain you felt from your throbbing shoulder. "Look, (y/n), I'm... I don't know what to say."

"That's fine because I don't want to hear anything you have to say," you said flatly. You peeked through your lashes at him. He was pacing the room, pulling another cigarette out of the pack, and lighting it. "You think you can fix everything with pretty words? 'It's a promise, it's supposed to be pretty'. Like that, right?" 

Tears stung the corners of your eyes. It was hard to keep your breathing level with all the emotion roiling through you. Tyki had stopped dead in his tracks at your words. He faced you in time to see you fumbling with the front of your shirt. You pulled out the ring he had made for you, yanked the chain off of your neck, and chucked it at his head.

"We're just some cheap fix for you while you escape the rich life, is that it?" you asked, yelling at him. Lord was it strange speaking in your natural voice while dressed as a Finder. You hissed, a particularly powerful wave of pain coursing through you. Grabbing at your shoulder, you shook your head. "Why... You could have just told us! Why do you even stay with us when..."

"Damn it, (y/n), I don't like getting dressed up like this!" The sincerity in his voice caught you off guard, silenced your next retort. You sat there facing him, your mouth open and brow furrowed. Tears ran down your cheeks. Tyki moved onto the bed in front of you, his eyes worriedly searching over your injured shoulder. "I much prefer spending time with you...but..."

"You still love your family?" you finished for him, your voice cracking. He sighed, nodding in affirmation. "Tyki, you could have... I mean, what do you want me to say? That it's okay? You've been _lying_ to us!"

"...would you have preferred I'd been a male escort?" he asked after a moment's hesitation.

"I don't know!" you wailed, throwing your hands up in the air. The motion hurt your shoulder, yet the pain medication was at last working its magic. "I mean... I guess now that I think about it, for all I knew, you could have been a murdering psychopath! Stupid me for letting you into my house, for letting you near my cousin!"

You missed the moment he winced at your words. Tyki turned away from you, his hand masking the lower half of his face. His eyes were on the far wall while you gathered yourself together. Swallowing a few times, you hummed and played with your vocal chords until you were able to use your male voice again. Who knew when Paolo would return.

Your mind was still racing. A large part of you was wishing you could hate him for this, for not telling you about the other half of his life. How much easier it would have been. If only you hadn't had years' of memories with him there. All of the moments genuine, you knew. He was genuinely happy when he was with you, Eaze, Clark and Momo. Even if you couldn't bring yourself to fully believe Tyki himself, the way Road had spoken about Tyki's eccentric habits allowed you to realize this. He did care deeply about the four of you.

"To make matters worse, you left Eaze aftering promising me--"

"It wasn't like that," he said quickly, cutting you off. His hands were raised in front of him, and he waved them, as though trying to distract you for a moment. "I only left when Sherrill picked me up yesterday. I got the call about Road and--"

"Oh," you said softly, your voice hardly more than a whisper. "So... So you would have stayed otherwise?"

"I try to stay with you guys as long as I can," Tyki said, his voice the epitome of sincerity. "One of the best things in life is that I get to be with all of you."

A few more tears found their way down your cheeks. Your chest still felt heavy, however the weight seemed to have lessened. You knew Tyki wasn't lying at all. He was being honest at that point. It baffled you. Ultimately, your perspective on life was always that family and friends were more important than money, the only things worth living for. Yet this man, he had it all. He had another family, he had money and most likely the attention of ladies all over. How was it that he preferred to be with you? 

Your bottom lip trembled. It felt amazing to be regarding so highly like that. At the same time, however, part of you could not forgive him for this betrayal. You would have accepted him even if he had told you about his other life! Eaze wouldn't have cared! Clark and Momo... You blinked, realizing that you honestly couldn't say whether or not they would have understood. And maybe that was why...

Tyki turned back to you and held out his hand for you to grab hold. "You should get something to eat. Come on."

Frowning, you accepted his hand all the same. He pulled you gently into a standing position and tugged you to his side. You walked ahead of him, bending over to pull on your shoes. Tyki slipped his on without untying them.

"You're still my number one gal, (y/n), I promise," he said. You caught him leaning over and picking something up. The next moment he was wrapping something around your neck. You tensed then relaxed as he did the clasp on your chain. So, he wasn't going to let you give the ring back like that, eh? 

"And you're S.A.M., Eaze's tutor who's gone AWOL, and Road's eccentric uncle, is that right?" He laughed in response, his initial chuckle somewhat nervous as you used your male voice. Tyki opened the door for you, a gesture you did not overlook. "Oh, and you forgot some things about me."

"Yes, Jules~?" His right hand was on your lower back and his left on the doorknob as the two of you exited the room.

"Yes. I'm also Road's number one boy. And you're _still_ not taking a dip in this pond." He slammed the door roughly behind you two in response to that statement.


	12. Mission Go; Guy Talk

Mission Go; Guy Talk

Tyki and you walked side-by-side down the staircase that led to the restaurant at which you were certain the rest of your traveling companions were eating. You had shrugged Tyki's hand off of you, stating that you did not want any undue attention drawn. Your cover could _not_ be blown. For a moment you could see the gears turning in Tyki's head. He did not want you to be a Finder, you reminded yourself. This could be his chance. You stopped suddenly, causing him to nearly crash into you. Lucky for your shoulder, he caught himself. His eyes guiltily searched your face.

"Don't even _think_ about it," you hissed in a whisper, jabbing a finger against his chest. He swatted your hand away, grumbled under his breath, and walked past you. Shaking your head, you started following him once more.

You shoved the chain containing the ring he had made for you under your shirt. Glaring at the back of Tyki's head, you allowed your thoughts to grow murderous for all of five seconds. Then you screwed up your face into a neutral expression as the two of you entered the restaurant. The Minister and his family was getting a lot of attention so the table was easy to find. Heads were turned in their direction. You weren't entirely surprised. Tricia was radiant, dressed in a fancy dress and looking every bit a Minister's wife. Road, likewise, had cleaned up nicely and was in new frills and laces. Paolo and Minister Kamelot were engaged in a conversation, no doubt about politics, which you knew interested Paolo some.

Tyki pulled out a chair, stepped aside for you to sit down, and then seated himself. The action earned him several looks from the members of the table. Your eyes shifting from side to side, you took the offered seat. Leave it to Tyki to continue treating you like a lady even when you were supposed to be disguised as a man. He seemed to realize his mistake and frowned. Due to it being accidental, you found that you could forgive him.

"I guess Jules is kinda girly, ain't he?" Paolo offered, most likely to ease the air of awkwardness. Everyone let out a nervous laugh, you included.

Tyki flashed his teeth in a grin. "You have no idea how feminine he is."

Your foot met with his ankle under the table. His response? He kicked you back, causing you to bite down hard on nothing but air to keep from grunting.

Meanwhile, Paolo shifted closer to Tyki. "Yeah, the other guys and I talk about it." His eyes flickered over your face, which was growing more stern by the minute. "He's got some wild stories though. Seems ladies enjoy men like him."

"You don't say~?"

It took every ounce of willpower in you to refrain from slamming your head against the table. Luckily, Minister Kamelot ended the topic by mentioning something about a dance recital Road's class had done. She had taken part as well, the little lady she was. Tricia smiled fondly at the memory. Minister Kamelot was quite the doting father. He seemed so proud of his daughter. Despite the fact that his hand was atop his wife's, his every compliment was directed at the little girl to his left.

 _I wonder if she ever feels like a placemat?_ you thought to yourself. Your eyes searched Tricia's face, which did not give this impression. _Or maybe he showers her with enough attention in private? Oh Lord..._ Your face grew hot at that train of thought.

You brushed those thoughts out of your head, trying hard to erase all the mental images that had popped up as a result. Instead you busied yourself with ordering food when the waiter returned. The meal you were able to enjoy, the table conversation shifting over towards more familiar topics, such as politics. Minister Kamelot smiled several times during such subjects yet did not divulge certain information. Neither you nor Paolo were surprised, knowing full well that he had secrets to keep for his country's sake.

Road interjected a number of times, her attention constantly drawn to you. Your eyes would fall to your plate at such occurrences, the Minister's gaze fixed on you. He had a most wonderful Poker face. That seemed to run in the family, you thought, remembering all the times you had watched Tyki play the card game. Tricia, on the other hand, would smile fondly at her daughter then shift her eyes to you. It was quite apparent Road's mother found her behavior typical of a young girl.

Following dinner, and once the staff had removed the dishes from the table, Minister Kamelot rose to his feet and took a step closer to you just as you were standing. He laid a hand on your arm, causing you to pause. You turned your head, looking at him. He smiled down at you and requested to speak with you alone. Your attention darted to Tyki for all of two seconds. He had stiffened, his eyes flicking up to his brother. Minister Kamelot smiled wider in return. You swallowed the saliva that had gathered in your mouth while nodding.

You followed Minister Kamelot out of the small restaurant. A part of you was surprised to find that he had his personal bodyguards leave ample room between themselves and him. It was risky for a politician of his stature to do so, you noted. This fact, naturally, only increased the turmoil rolling through your nerves. You were starting to feel sick to your stomach, more than certain that Minister Kamelot was going to berate you for his daughter's behavior.

He led you out onto a balcony. A cool, crisp breeze blew past the pair of you as he walked over to the railing. You leaned against it with your back, your hands firmly gripping the white surface as you turned your head to look at the Minister. He was allowing his eyes to run over your body. Your gaze shifted to the ground, rose to his bodyguards, which were guarding the doorway that led to balcony, and then at last you returned your attention to Minister Kamelot.

"You are...forgive me, but you are quite feminine," he said at last, his lips quirking up once more into a smile. Somehow his grin unnerved you. It felt as though your intestines were rolling inside you. "You remind me something of a eunuch."

You furrowed your brow at that statement. Your lips pressed tightly together. Eunuchs were said to have been castrated at an early age sometimes. Often to either play the role of a female on stage or to guard a king's harem. As Minister Kamelot explained this to you in such simple words, your stomach continued to churn. He was by far the strangest politician you had ever met--and he was only the _first_ one you had met.

"Although, on occasion," he continued, "they also played the role of female in the bedroom. A eunuch is still able to perform fellatio, you see." Well, here was another weird fact for you. Eyes wide, you stared ahead at the ground before you, unable to meet the Minister's gaze any longer. "Now, about my daughter..."

You could not help the laugh that escaped you. A sudden, nervous laugh that you quickly quieted with your hand. Inwardly you winced, hoping it hadn't been too feminine. It was hard enough to maintain your male voice in conversation. When it came to laughing though? It definitely took more effort, which was hard when you were caught off guard.

"Ah...sorry, sir," you said, having regained control over your vocal cords. "Your daughter is a very nice girl. She's just...young. It's flattering that she has an interest in me, however I--"

"Good~" Minister Kamelot said, taking a step closer to you. He leaned down, his mouth near your ear. "I was worried for a moment that I would have to convince you to leave her alone." You shuddered. "You're already feminine enough." So he _had_ been hinting at turning you into a eunuch. Well that was just fantastic.

His hand trailed down your arm, squeezing your wrist for a moment with strength that belied his physical appearance. You grit your teeth together to keep from moaning in pain. Then Minister Kamelot walked off the balcony, returning to his guards, who followed him further down the hallway.

Heart beating rapidly in your chest, you swallowed several times the bile that had risen in your throat. The only positive thing you could think of was that he hadn't declared war on the Order because of his daughter's feelings for you. At the same time, however, he had made it blatantly clear that he did not approve. You were at a loss for what to do. It was not as though you had any perverse feelings for the girl. What was more, there was still the next day that you would be sharing a carriage with her. Would you make it through the journey?

"Don't mind Sherrill," a familiar voice said, rousing you from your thoughts. Tyki was leaning against the doorframe, one arm propped above his head and the other resting on his leg. "He's very protective of Road, but...well, I promised you I would keep you safe every time I'm near you."

Your jaw dropped open then you closed your mouth again. Lips parted, you sucked in a deep breath. You closed your eyes, exhaling slowly, then opened them again. "He's just so...your brother is fucking creepy."

Tyki flashed you a wide grin. "You don't know the half of it."

Shaking your head, _not_ wanting to know 'the half of it', you pushed off the rail and moved towards the door. Tyki placed a hand on your lower back for a few seconds then dropped his arm back to his side when the two of you were further inside.

Tyki and you entered the room you would be sharing with Paolo, who was climbing into his bed after having unpacked a change of clothes for the next day. You walked to your bag, removed a nightshirt, and started organizing the rest of your outfit for the following day. Tyki, meanwhile, had moved into the bathroom. You stood, your clothes for the night in tow, and walked over to the bathroom door. You waited outside for a time, earning strange looks from Paolo.

After several minutes more of silence, Paolo rose from the bed, crossed the room, and knocked on the door. "Hey, man, you decent?" he asked. Tyki responded in the positive, so Paolo twisted the handle and opened the bathroom, which caused your eyes to widen.

You were greeted with the sight of Tyki scrambling to pull up his boxers, having gotten a nice view of his bare ass. Your cheeks were red and hot. Paolo snorted at the sound of Tyki cursing and commenting on how he had thought Paolo was the one who needed to get into the bathroom.

"Relax, dude. Jules is a guy too, believe it or not." He looked over his shoulder at you, started to turn again, then stopped. His gaze darted back to you, to the blush on your cheeks. "I thought you were into women."

You did not trust your voice. To avoid any further comments from Paolo, you ducked under his arm and slipped into the bathroom with Tyki, who had started to brush his teeth. Staring at you for a few seconds longer, Paolo shook his head and closed the door. You could hear him moving back to his bed and climbing in.

Clothes still in your hands, you slunk over to the shower. You slipped past the curtain and there you started to strip off the layers of your clothes. You then proceeded to dress yourself in the nightclothes before leaving the shower with the pile of dirty clothes in your arms. Brushing his teeth, Tyki grinned at you and gave you a thumbs up. You stopped cold, your eyes wide. You looked between the mirror and the shower curtain. Noticing nothing abnormal, you stuck your hand past the shower curtain. To your horror, the silhouette left littel to the imagination.

 _I am so glad I didn't get naked in there,_ you thought, glaring daggers at Tyki, who leaned over to spit toothpaste into the sink. As he bent over, you found your eyes traveling to his ass, now clothed. You cocked your head to the side, shifting your eyes away when you realized what you were doing. Once more you were blushing when, your gaze on the mirror, you found that Tyki had been watching your every move. Watching your reflection that entire time. His grin said it all.

"We can compare sizes if you want, Jules~" You gawked, sputtered out nonsense, then hurried from the bathroom. As you burrowed under the covers of your bed, you could hear Tyki chuckling.

******

The following morning you packed up your things along with Paolo. The two of you, along with Tyki, walked down together to meet the rest of your group at the carriages. Your heart sank into the pit of your stomach when you saw Minister Kamelot in a small disagreement with his daughter. He was ushering her into the carriage along with Tricia, all the while his daughter protested and said she wanted to ride with you. You mentally begged her to give up her pleas, not wanting the Minister to have any worse feelings towards you.

With a pout, she fell silent. Her eyes drifted over to you, whereupon she instantly perked up. The girl, smiling, waved ecstatically at you, wishing you a good morning. You ducked your head, meekly raised a hand to the height of your shoulder, and returned the greeting. No matter how hard you tried, you could not manage to will yourself into invisibility. Minister Kamelot then pressed gently on his daughter, moving her into the confines of the carriage and closing the door behind her. 

You swore in your head, your eyes darting all over the place. Minister Kamelot had not joined his family in the carriage. No, instead he was walking over to where the three of you stood. Originally you had believed he was moving Road into the carriage with Tricia and himself. But no, that seemed to be wrong. He was, instead, switching places with his daughter. The Minister himself would be joining Paolo, Tyki and you in the second carriage. One of his bodyguards had already taken his place beside the driver, while the others were with the Minister's family.

From your peripheral vision, you caught Tyki's eye. He smiled reassuringly at you. This did little to calm your abused nerves, but the small amount of help was welcome. 

Paolo slid into the carriage first. Next Tyki practically shoved you into your seat, beside which he quickly sat. Frowning, Minister Kamelot took his seat directly across from you. You resisted the urge to gulp.

"My daughter," the Minister began as the door to the carriage was closed, "was informing me of how the two of you managed to flip over the side of a bridge." He gestured towards your wounded shoulder, which seemed to throb in response. "Your discomfort caused you to forget to release my daughter's hand before falling?"

You knitted your brow, unsure how to respond. Frankly, you were _not_ about to inform the MInister that you had originally suspected the cause of your wound to be his littel girl. Also, you reasoned, you had not had any time to think at all. Your body had reacted to the pain on its own accord. After a few seconds to breathe and run these thoughts through your head, you spoke:

"I apologize for placing your daughter in danger like that." Your gaze flickered to the window, to Tyki, and then returned to the man across from you. "Nothing had registered in my mind after I felt the pain. I barely remember flipping off the bridge--only hitting the water."

Minister Kamelot rested an elbow against the side of the carriage, his knuckles supporting his chin. You felt like a bug under a microscope. Perhaps a magnifying glass even--would you burst into flames if he continued to stare at you? It was a silly thought, one that nearly had you smiling. Lucky for you, however, you managed to keep your face neutral. He already wanted to turn you into a eunuch; no need to give the Minister any further rage to fuel other twisted thoughts.

You were more than thankful when Tyki stepped up to the plate, distracting his brother for the moment. "Did Road manage to do her homework this time? I don't want to be wrestled into doing it later." You smiled widely at the thought of Tyki donig homework. It was hard enough convincing him to keep Eaze busy with his studies. 

Minister Kamelot and Tyki held a small conversation between themselves while Paolo studied a map of the town the two of you were headed for. He had a good memory, you had been told, if he had enough time to take in all the details. Roughly an hour elapsed before the Minister struck up another conversatin with his brother. Tyki commented on how his brother seemed to have plenty of energy today.

"Well, I got plenty of sleep last night," Minister Kamelot explained as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Tricia wasn't feeling well~"

The comment itself had your eyes wide. As for the fact that Minister Kamelot's gaze had switched over to you towards the end of his declaration, that had you suppressing a shudder. Tyki frowned. "Don't be gross, Sherrill."

"There is nothing unnatural about a man indulging himself with his wife," the Minister argued in return. To your horror, Paolo was nodding in agreement. You tried to shrink in your seat but failed.

"Well, I'm sure a young man like Julian doesn't--"

Before Tyki could finish coming to your rescue, Paolo had set down the map and was laughing. He waved a hand, as though he were shushing the man, and then proceeded to say, "Look, Julian's just fine." He looked over at you, nodding encouragingly. "Pita was telling me how you did two chicks at the same time while you were back home during your break."

You absolutely _loathed_ yourself right there. And you despised the fact that three pairs of eyes were on you. Paolo, him waiting for you to give more of the juicy details. Minister Kamelot, his perverse gaze wandering about your frame and landing on your face as though he could not believe you had had sex with anyone at all. And Tyki, who seemed rather eager to hear more of this tale. You coughed into your fist, and tried to dismiss the matter.

Paolo, however, scoffed. "C'mon, Jules. Don't get all shy just because you're with the Minister."

"I'd love to hear more about this~" Minister Kamelot said, cheerful as ever. Did perverts just happen to run in Tyki's family, you wondered.

You shook your head. "Look--"

"What? Didja lie to the guys just so they wouldn't know you're some hick, virgin boy?" Paolo said.

You glared daggers at your comrade. The hell you were going to let that fly! Forcing yourself ot ignore the fact that Tyki was sitting right beside you, you let your mouth run faster than your brain.

"Shit, no. One chick I fucked nice and hard while the other sucked me off," you said proudly. Inwardly, you were having conflicted emotions. Part of you was proud of yourself for being able to keep up your facade. The other part was wondering _why_ you were subjecting yourself to this. _It's for Eaze. We need the money!_ you reasoned.

"Fucked her hard, huh~?" Tyki asked. If there had been no witnesses, you would have punched him in the head right there. His tone was too familiar, that playful bit that showed he was planning something. "Did you make sure she was nice and wet before you put it in?"

 _I never mentioned anything about a shower,_ was your initial thought. Then, blinking, you had an inkling of what he meant. You looked at Tyki, meeting his gaze. " _Dripping_ wet."

Tyki, never failing to rise to a challenge, twisted so that he could better face you. "Yeah? You finger her good?"

"Had her screaming my name with just two fingers."

Paolo and Minister Kamelot were not speaking a word. Both, however, were grinning widely, looking between you and Tyki.

"It's nice when they do that, isn't it? Slip a knuckle against them, and they squirm for you~"

 _How does he know this stuff?_ Outwardly, you kept your expression in check. Still cocky, as though you really were a guy who had managed to have sex with two women at the same time. _Do all guys know this stuff, or is he speaking from experience? ...does he have sex with women when he's away from home?_ Your heart skipped a beat at the thought.

"And you told me not to be gross, Tyki," Minister Kamelot said, severing the staring contest you and Tyki had unknowingly been holding with one another. 

You stared out the window for the remainder of the trip, replying to comments only when absolutely necessary. You also received a thumbs up from Paolo, who had enjoyed the nice details from your "latest sexcepade".


	13. Mission Impossible; Reluctant Informant

Mission Impossible; Reluctant Informant

After spending the better part of an hour arguing with Tyki why it was _not_ a good idea for him to accompany you and Paolo on your mission, you had been at a loss for words when Minister Kamelot asked to know: why? You had turned to Paolo, who had shifted uncomfortably from leg to leg. How much of the mission details could you divulge? The two of you were forced to reluctantly agree to allow Tyki to come with you. The Minister's daughter had complained to her father to go as well, however Road had been denied this by both her mother and father. That was why you, grumbling, trailed along behind Paolo and Tyki as the rest of the Kamelot family went to continue on their vacation.

For over three hours you and Paolo interrogated the citizens for current rumors. Tyki tagged along, chatting up various people, predominately of the female gender. You sulked for a time, although did your best to prevent the man from realizing that you were upset with him. He seemed to remain oblivious. This version of Tyki, whom you had only recently met, was suave and quite the lady's man. He had proper manners and a silver tongue; even the most reluctant of folk opened up to him. Paolo found a friend in the man you had _thought_ you'd known. The two exchanged stories.

You sulked in your chair while Tyki and Paolo continued to talk. Lunch was slow moving, mostly due to the fact that the two men preferred to talk rather than eat their food. Your appetite was practically non-existent. Still, you fiddled with a fry then took a bite. The conversations revolving around gambling and drinking you could deal with; heck, those were pretty darn amusing. It was when the topic of girls was brought up that you felt depressed. It was not as though they talked about the girls themselves, but instead the sex. What little was said of the girls was mostly: she was cute; she blushed; a real tiger in the sac; or other such comments.

"Hey--what about that one chick you were talking about?" Paolo inquired, causing you to stir out of your thoughts. "The one who lives with you when you're dressed as a hobo. She ever do any favors for you?" Tyki laughed and shook his head, stating that she--you--were not that kind of lady. "Aw, man. She even cute?"

"Very cute~" Tyki said, nudging you under the table with his foot. You fought off the blush that was threatening to crawl onto your face.

"Ever put the moves on her?" Paolo asked, clearly curious as to this 'mystery' woman, who was secretly sitting to his left. Your eyes darted all over your plate. You took another bite of your French fries to keep down a nervous laugh. Tyki made a non-committal noise. "You have any pictures of her?"

Your eyes practically bulged out of your head as Tyki reached into his jacket and withdrew a picture of the five of you; Momo, Clark, Eeze, himself and you. You were only thankful that the picture was old. Roughly two years old; before you had cut your hair and styled yourself to look more masculine. He pointed you out to Paolo, who whistled and snatched the picture up from the man. You kicked Tyki in the shin. You noticed him clench his jaw, although not a single sound emitted from him.

"Damn, and you haven't nailed that?" Paolo asked. You swallowed hard, hoping that he would not notice your red face. You took another bite of your fries. "Nice mouth, great tits...her ass nice too? Can't see it in this pic."

Tyki grabbed the photograph back from your comrade and stuffed it back into his jacket pocket. "She...yeah, her whole body is nice."

 _Oh dear lord,_ you thought, a brief dizzy spell causing you to grab onto the edge of your chair to keep your balance. 

You excused yourself to the bathroom. Tyki made a comment about needing to go as well, and you found yourself thankful when he caught you, stopping you from going into the women's room. Tyki led you into the men's room, whispered for you to close your eyes, and pressed lightly on your back until you were past the urinals and at one of the three stalls. You entered, closed the door, and shuddered.

 _Does he really think I'm pretty like that? I mean, I know he's always flirted...and Clark and Momo always tease that he's at his worst as a pervert when it comes to me. But..._ You swallowed, blinked, and shook your head. _But he's had sex with other women. And richer women. Probably women with bigger chests. Nicer hair. Don't cross-dress like me._

You ran a hand through your hair, gathered your thoughts, and decided to think about this all later. At current there was your mission to complete. Thus far no news about the Noah family had been gained. Granted, there was still a good amount of people you had not spoken to. You were hopeful that after lunch you would have more luck. You were startled out of your thoughts by Tyki's voice:

"Huh...we're alone in here now."

"Uh...yeah."

"Did you really have to pee?" Your cheeks felt real hot. "Hey...that Paolo guy...what do you think about him?"

 _What the hell does that mean?_ "Uh...he's a good guy." Pure silence. "Wait... You mean like... Are you talking about...you know."

"Maybe."

You glared at the stall door. "Come out and say it; stop being such a pussy, Tyki!"

"Well stop talking a man-voice!"

You wrung your hands at the air, imagining yourself strangling the man. "Sometimes... sometimes I could really picture myself bashing you over the head with some random blunt object." You had used your real voice. "Now, are you gonna tell me what's going on?"

"Hmm?" You could hear footsteps drawing closer to your stall. As Tyki came nearer, you could smell the smoke from his cigarettes. "You heard how he was talking about you. What do you think's going to happen if they find out you're a woman? Your comrades...think they won't have some fun with you first?"

"Like beat me up?" He did not respond. What he was attempting to tell you dawned on you. "Oh... I don't think so."

"That's because you're naive," he said, exhaling. You undid the lock on the door and pulled it open. Tyki was leaning against the wall right outside. The two of you stared at one another.

"I'm good at my job."

"You're already injured!" he argued, making a valid point. You glowered at him. Tyki flicked his cigarette off to the side and closed the distance between the two of you. You rolled your eyes when he once more asked you to return home and drop your job as a finder. "You're going to get yourself killed. There are worse things out there than akuma, you know."

This startled you for a moment. You recalled that this was not the first time he had said this. You crossed your arms over your chest, deep in thought for several seconds. "Tyki...have you ever heard about the Noah family?" The way his eyes widened momentarily said it all. "You... Uhm. What have you heard?"

Before he had a chance to answer, however, the door to the bathroom started to open. Tyki tensed then pushed you into the stall. He joined you and closed to door behind himself. Silence for a moment and then the third party said:

"Hey...what the hell are you two doing?"

You relaxed when you heard Paolo's voice. Tyki coughed into his hand then exited the stall. He dragged you out with him. Motioning to you, the man said, "Just hard to believe a feminine guy like Jules can get two girls like that. I guess size matters in this case, eh, Jules?"

Your eyes widened. Paolo also had a startled expression. You grasped for straws then piped up with, "Mister Mikk was just telling me that he knows of the Noah family. He said he'd give us the information."

"Yeah," Tyki said, not missing a beat. "But then Jules offered to give me head for the info, and, hell, I ain't gay. Although, you do have a nice ass, boy~" The way he slapped your rear didn't help matters. You gawked at him.

Paolo looked you up and down. "You're bisexual?"

"What?" You whipped your head between Paolo and Tyki. "No. Fuck, no. I'm straight. Look, let's just focus on the fact that Tyki here knows about the Noah family."

"My brother's a Minister," Tyki said, a smirk forming. "He's in the know on a lot of noteworthy families. That's politics."

You glared at him. Paolo, meanwhile, locked the door to the bathroom entrance. You thanked your lucky stars that this man knew when to focus on work. Tyki, meanwhile, frowned at the turn of events. Most likely he realized that he had no way out. Paolo questioned the man for a good five minutes and Tyki showed no signs of cracking. He merely stood there, staring at various portions of the bathroom and occasionally at you. He startled only when Paolo said:

"I get it." Both you and Tyki looked straight at the man. "You're a man in a high place. Have had chicks...you into boys as well?"

"What?" There was a rather amused expression on Tyki's face.

"You were the one checking out Julian's junk, man. Talking about his ass. Got a nice man-crush on him?"

Tyki rubbed his chin with his hand. "Huh. I guess you could say that~"

Paolo nodded then turned to you. "Hey. Sacrifices, man."

"Huh?" You blinked several times.

"He all but told you what he wants in return for the information." You knit your brow then choked on air as you realized what he was implying. You started to protest when Paolo cut you off. "Dude, it's just a fucking blow job. I'll buy you a drink afterwards...you think we haven't had to do worse for information?"

 _The hell kind of things do they do as Finders?!_ you thought incredulously.

Tyki straightened his posture. "Heh... Look. A kiss is fine, Jules." You stared at the man, shocked beyond belief. Was he serious?

You bit down on your bottom lip. Shifting from leg to leg, you took a few deep breaths. At long last you were able to say, "You talk first...then I'll kiss you." It was strange, using your man voice to say something like that. Especially to a guy--to Tyki!--when you were supposed to be blending in.

Tyki snorted. "C'mon. A quick peck on the lips. I talk, then you give me the real kiss."

"Real kiss?"

"Your tongue. My mouth." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at you.

Your gaze darted to Paolo, who was looking at you with an expression that clearly stated he believed you were getting off easy; not that either of you had any room to complain. Cursing the man out in the back of your head, you raised yourself onto your tip toes. Tyki grinned as you gave him a quick peck on the lips, the kiss lasting less than a second. His tongue ran over his lips. Paolo, obviously uncomfortable, shifted a bit. You crossed your arms over your chest again and told Tyki that he had better start talking.

Tyki waved a hand dismissively. "Noah family... From what I've heard, they're well off money-wise." Not good, you thought to yourself. Although not surprising either; you had heard rumors about the Millennium Earl having brokers. "Mostly male members."

"How many are in the family?" Paolo piped up on that note.

"I wonder~" Tyki said with a lilt that told you he knew more than what he was saying. You eyed him suspiciously. "Anyway, they're secretive but do attend social gatherings from time to time."

"They been in this town recently?" you asked. He nodded in response, a grin itching to make itself known on his features. "They still here?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if they were," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Although I doubt anyone would betray them to you two. They can blend rather nicely when they want to."

You and Paolo waited for several seconds, but the man did not go on. He did, however, shift closer to you. Your heart skipped a beat at the meaning. This was it. You were about to kiss Tyki. On the lips. An actual kiss. Your head spun at the thought. Hooo boy, what would Eaze think of this? Scratch that; he liked Tyki...he probably would not mind it at all since it would make Tyki family by marriage. _Whoah there, brain! Why the hell are you skipping all the way to marriage?_

Your eyes were wide as he started to lean down. Tyki set one hand against your cheek, the other holding your upperarm, as though he did not trust you to keep from running. Not that you could blame him; you certainly felt like booking it into the stall and hiding. The fact that Paolo was watching did not help matters either. Your heart was racing in your chest and it felt as though it would burst out any moment. Tyki lowered his face closer to yours. You could feel his breath on your lips. His mouth on yours. Your knees wobbled; they felt like Jell-O. Several times he kissed you, slowly working his tongue against your lips. You were much too shocked to realize that you had to open your mouth to allow that organ in.

Tyki did not let this detour him. The man worked his tongue like a snake, slipping it between your lips and into your mouth. You gasped at the feel of his organ running along yours. This allowed him better access. Tyki's hands were pulling you closer as he deepened the kiss. You let your eyelids drift closed, completely forgetting for the moment that your kiss was being observed by a third party. Shyly, you poked at his tongue with yours. His response was to run his tongue against the roof of your mouth, which had your toes curling.

You would have continued to kiss the man if it wasn't for Paolo clearing his throat. With a slight groan, Tyki retreated back from you. You were nearly panting, trying to get some air into your lungs as your head continued to swim.

"Fuck, Jules," Paolo said. You lifted your gaze to find him staring at you in confusion. "You're a real good liar. But, seriously, don't worry about it. I won't tell anyone you're gay. It don't bug me."

Your face, already flushed from the kiss, turned a deeper shade of red. You supposed, in a way, that was better than being found out to be a woman posing as a man.


	14. Time Between

Time Between

Paolo hung up the phone after getting into contact with headquarters. He turned to you and said that you two had the clear to return to base. He had relayed the information you had gathered on the Noah, and it was deemed too dangerous for the two of you to continue alone. Likewise, it would be reckless and possibly pointless to send in reinforcements considering the lack of current activity from the Noah family. The fact that neither of you had sighted said family members also remained.

You turned to Tyki, who was sitting at a nearby table along with his brother, who had returned to retrieve his brother. Tyki had his chin resting on his hands and was darting away his eyes, which had obviously been previously settled on your rear. You shifted uncomfortably. A light blush came to your cheeks. Hoboy, why did he have to be such a charmer? You had known him for so long and had been previously mostly immune to his looks. Yet after that kiss... You cleared your throat, trying to get your thoughts on track.

"So this is goodbye...and thanks for your help," Paolo said, inclining his head towards Minister Kamelot and his brother. Sheril smiled pleasantly, although you had the impression it was forced. Tyki, meanwhile, rose from his seat and walked closer to you. Paolo eyed the man while he continued to speak. "Julian and I will be returning to our base now, and--"

"Already?" Tyki asked, flinching. "Surely you get a night of rest."

Paolo shrugged, mentioning that finders generally did not have that luxury. Minister Kamelot, meanwhile, seemed more perky now that he knew you would be leaving. You shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. He was eyeing you as though you were dirt--no, less than dirt. When Tyki asked to speak to you alone--in private--that glare only increased. You ducked your head but obliged to the request, moving off with Tyki.

You rubbed your arms with your hands when you were alone with the man. "For some reason, I get the impression your brother doesn't like me."

"That's because he thinks you're a guy," Tyki said, waving his hand dismissively. "He thinks he's the only man who's allowed to flirt with me."

You did a double-take then gawked at him. "Wh-wh-what? That's...incest! Ew. Wait. Ugh. My brain." You held onto your head with both your hands. Tyki watched you with an amused expression on his face.

"So anyway," Tyki said, skipping to the reason he had dragged you off to the side. "(Y/n)...please, come back home." You sighed. Before you could speak, however, he cut you off. "With the Noah family out there... I'm worried you could get hurt. Or worse, killed. Your arm is already messed up and--"

"Stop. Please, Tyki, just stop," you said, shaking your head. "I'm doing this for Eeze. We need the money."

"(Y/n)--"

"Look, Eeze and I don't have the luxury to return to some fancy lifestyle whenever we feel like it!" You knew that you were not being fair, not after he had previously told you his feelings on the matter. All the same, you were fed up with it. "If I had my way, don't you think I'd be at home taking care of Eeze? This is the only way I'm going to be able to get the money we need to make sure he stays safe and healthy."

Tyki tucked his hands into his pocket, looking up towards the sky as he sighed. "I don't like it."

"You don't have to like--"

He raised up his hand, and you stopped. Closing your mouth, you listened to what he had to say. "I don't like it. At all. But I understand. I want you to promise me, however, that you'll be more careful." He nodded towards your injured shoulder as he said this. You sighed and smiled weakly, the promise slipping easily from your lips.

Tyki then leaned down, capturing your mouth with his. You closed your eyes, taking a step closer to the man. You shyly returned the kiss, your lips caressing his. When his tongue moved into your mouth, you gingerly prodded your organ against his. He backed away enough to allow you to delve your tongue into his mouth. You inexperiencedly touched the contours of his mouth with your pink organ.

His hands moved onto your hips. Tyki brought you flush against him. You tangled your hands in his hair. He shifted his hands from your hips onto your ass. He groped your rear, causing you to release a squeak. His response was to remove his mouth from yours and kiss along your jawline. You shuddered when you felt his tongue slip along the crook of your neck. His breath tickled you. Just as his mouth closed over yours once more, the two of you jumped at the sound of a voice:

"My Tyki!" You turned your head the same time Tyki did. The man told Minister Kamelot that he misused the possessive pronoun and not be gross. His brother, however, disregarded anything he had to say. Tyki's eyes widen, as did yours, when Sheril marched up to you and prodded you in the chest with a finger. "I see! You're through with trying to seduce my little Road, and here you are attempting to woo my charming brother!"

You blushed. Great. This was _just_ what you needed; the country's Minister pissed the eff off at you simply because Tyki had feelings for you. Tyki batted away Minister Kamelot's hand. The two had an argument via glares at one another. The elder brother backed away after a moment. Tyki then turned back to you, gave you a quick kiss, and told you that he hoped he'd see you soon. You smiled in return.

***Three Months Later***

Headquarters was still a mystery, a fable, to you. Due to various Noah sightings, you had been sent on a number of missions throughout the past few months. Once or twice you had also gone with Edgar, Paolo, or other finders in search of Innocence. Because you were a newer recruit, you had only been on a single mission involving an akuma outbreak. You had managed to survive that mission, however had witnessed a comrade torn in half by an akuma. It was only last month that you had been cleared psychologically to continue on missions.

You rested your head against a wooden plank, staring skywards. Just the previous day you had returned from your latest mission, another Noah sighting. The Noah in question was the one responsible for removing organs. Though you had not caught sight of his face, you had witnessed his powers. The revolting Noah had battled an exorcist and removed the man's kidney. An ambush from others had allowed the exorcist to survive, Innocence intact. It was lucky that one could survive with only a single kidney.

You shuddered at the memory, nausea swimming through you. "That a good shudder or a bad one?" Paolo asked, stretching his muscles as he prepared to exercise. You opened your eyes. It was only you, Paolo and Edgar on the field right now. Edgar had 'discovered' your 'homosexuality' on accident when you and Paolo had discussed Tyki on a previous occasion. Your close friend said he didn't care; you had never hit on him, so it didn't matter. The two kept it a secret from others, however, since you all knew full well intolerance would run through the camp.

"Bad. Was thinking of Jackson." Paolo nodded and hummed in agreement. "I heard we all are getting no vacation this coming week. Rotation is off until further notice..." You did not even try to hide your disappointment; you had been looking so forward to visiting Eeze...possibly seeing Tyki.

"Yeah. Rumor has it the Millennium Earl is looking to go after the Generals," Paolo said.

Edgar nodded. "A few exorcists have been found murdered...that organ-removal guy again." You made a face of disgust. "I'd hate to go up against a guy like that."

The three of you quieted down when one of the higher officials walked towards you. He motioned for all of you to walk towards him. Edgar, Paolo and you did so without comment. "There's a mission for you three. It's important. Report to my tent in an hour. In the meantime, get your bags ready. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," you all said in unison.


	15. Never Too Easy

Never Too Easy

Paolo, Edgar and you all were instructed to wear full-face masks for the mission. There was a rumor of Innocence, you had been told. Said Innocence emitted a vapor that caused hallucinations. The full-face masks were to prevent some of the negative effects. You adjusted the goggles on your face, listening to the wheels of the carriage as it click-clacked along stone. The train ride had been equally silent. You were all three on edge. Rumor had it that a Noah was sighted in a nearby town to the one you were headed. A team of more experienced finders and one or two exorcists were on stand-by should the rumors of Innocence prove true.

As the carriage drew nearer to the town, you caught sight of a strange fog overlapping the houses. For a moment, your memory flashed back to the day you had met Road Kamelot on the bridge. Your shoulder, long since healed, throbbed in response. Paolo said nothing regarding the sight, while Edgar whistled low. 

"You ready for this, Jules?" your comrade asked. You only nodded as a reply.

The carriage stopped a good third of a mile from the town, directly on the edge of the vapor. You, Paolo and Edgar stepped out, bid the driver a temporary farewell, and headed towards the town on foot. Dirt crunched noisily under your feet. Your stomach did a few flip-flops as your nerves were tested. The hair on the back of your neck was standing on end. The closer you got to the town, the denser the fog grew. You could feel the moisture despite your mask and clothing. It seemed to go right through the material of your hood and touch your hair.

Sure enough, as you entered town, you found the townsfolk chatting away with one another or with individuals who were not there. They voiced their hallucinations, some of which had you nervously scooting away from more crazed individuals. Edgar and Paolo did likewise. It was best to avoid bumping into any of the people, lest one might believe they were being attacked by a monster that was nothing more than a figment of their imagination.

The museum curator had previously contacted the Order prior to succumbing to the effects of whatever had its hold on the town. It seemed as though a recently discovered artifact had caused ghosts to travel through the museum halls at night. Those occurrences gradually increased until they were neither diurnal nor nocturnal, but instead constant. Paolo pulled open the door to the museum, holding it until you and Edgar went inside. He followed the two of you through the corridors. 

In a short matter of time you three managed to arrive at the correct exhibit. The familiar greenish glow told the three of you all that you needed to know. Edgar turned his back so that Paolo could use the phone that was on it. You, meanwhile, withdrew the container those from the Science Division had created specially for this mission. You scooped the small urn into the padded container and packed a few scarves around it to keep it from breaking. That complete, you tucked the object back into your bag.

Paolo hung up the phone and turned to Edgar and you. The three of you looked at one another, all of you shifting uncomfortably. Your thoughts were identical; that had been _too_ easy. You opened your mouth to speak then fell silent as the shade of a woman walked through the room, only to disappear a second later. You cast your gaze towards your bag.

"Paolo, hold this a minute," you said, removing your bag from you. He accepted it, although with a quirked brow and a question on his lips. You told him of the hallucination you had just experienced. He nodded in response then the three of you all waited. Sure enough, Paolo soon passed the bag back to you and stated that he also experienced a hallucination. "So the vapor won't affect us, but the box isn't going to do much to help us either."

"We'll have to take turns carrying it," Edgar said as his eyes drifted to your bag. "And we'll have to keep a close eye on one another."

You placed the strap over your shoulder and volunteered to hold the bag first. Paolo and Edgar agreed with this, and the three of you started walking towards the exit. It was during this walk that Paolo revealed the other team would be meeting up with you guys shortly after you returned to the carriage. The exorcist team would take the Innocence back to headquarters while the three of you were to return to the base.

You blinked past the view of dozens of bodies walking past you, brushing up against you. A little girl slipped her hand into yours, and you could almost swear you could actually feel it. You shut your eyes for a moment, trying to regain your focus. As you opened them, you found Edgar turning around to check up on you. He froze in place. You practically crashed into him, however caught yourself in time. Paolo, too, stopped and turned around. 

Trembling, you dropped your gaze to your side. Sure enough, the little girl was still standing there, holding your hand and licking away at a lollipop. You furrowed your brow; she seemed so familiar and yet--gray skin! You jerked your hand away as you caught sight of the stigmata on her forehead. She giggled in response.

"Hey there~ Did you three find what you were looking for~?" Her Jack-o-lantern like grin caused goosebumps to form on your flesh.

A ghost walked through the wall to your left. A monster entered. It disappeared a moment later, soon replaced by a different creature a few feet away. You swore in your head. It was hard for you to distinguish hallucination from reality, yet you could not very well let Paolo or Edgar know this without revealing the Innocence's location to the Noah. Said girl bit down on her lollipop as one of the akuma moved to attack with the blade on the side of its arm. The sharp edge bit into the material of Paolo's shirt, however your comrade managed to duck and roll backwards in time to avoid injury.

"Ooo~ Nice moves, Mister Finder~"

Her voice, it was lodging itself in your brain. You _knew_ that voice! Your thoughts melted away momentarily when Edgar grabbed hold of your arm and threw both you and himself onto the ground. An explosion in the background told you that an akuma had fired at you. You whispered your thanks, and mentioned quietly your current predicament. Edgar swore in response, promising you he would help you. Gritting your teeth and ignoring the way your heart lurched, you reminded him that the Innocence was to be his top priority.

You ducked under the next attack, and the clawed arm that been aiming for you went over your head. You then swung a kick and met--air. _Shit!_ The Noah made a noise of startlement and also giggled as you fought off another hallucination with your fists.

"You have it, don't you~?" she asked with a coo. You tensed, as did Edgar, whose back was against yours. The little girl turned her attention to an akuma that was standing to her right. "Play with the taller one! The other is mine~"

"Yes, Master Road," the akuma said mechanically. 

Your jaw dropped. Road. Road Kamelot? You tried blinking, hoping this was all only another hallucination. It wasn't. The little girl you had met on the bridge--she really _had_ been the one to send you over the side. And that meant the Noah knew where the training grounds were! You tensed the muscles in your legs, ready to launch yourself at her. Biting back tears of frustration, you lunged forward and caught her about the waist. Road fell to the ground with you before she rolled out from underneath you and hopped up delicately back onto her feet.

_Does Tyki know he's related to a Noah...he has to know! But...I mean... What does that even mean?_

Your head spun as another hallucination passed. You were growing nauseous and dizzy from trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't. Taking a step to the left, you tried to gauge the distance between you and the Noah. Road bit the last of her lollipop then tossed the stick disinterestedly on the ground. 

"Let's play~"

While Paolo and Edgar were busy avoiding attacks from the akuma, you found yourself ducking under display cases and jumping over various artifacts to keep from getting penetrated by the candlesticks Road continuously launched in your direction. Ever on the move, you managed to slip the strap from the bag off you and hide it away during one of the moments you were out of the Noah's view. She did not seem to notice the bag's absence in the least. Rather, the sadistic child was much too keen on harming you.

A groan escaped your lips when one of the sharp edges skirted against your leg, drawing blood from the small scrape that was left in its wake. You ignored the sticky liquid sliding down to your ankle and instead grabbed one of the ancient weapons from a display. Lucky for you, directly next to it was a shield, which you also seized. You spared a quick glance in Paolo's direction to see how he was faring. The man looked a bit battered, but was holding his own just fine.

Edgar, meanwhile, had been caught in the crossfire of yours and Road's battle. His arm was oozing blood where a candle had stabbed through him. His adrenaline seemed to have made him oblivious to the injury, however, and he was still dodging the akuma's bullets.

Road skipped closer to you, a giddy laugh escaping from her. She had one candle in her hand and a number of others hovering above her. The Noah jerked her free hand forward, and several candles launched in your direction. You lifted the shield, warding off a number of them. One, however, managed to slip by your defenses. It struck the strap of your goggles, which fell from your face. You shuddered at the close call. Road, her hand in motion again, paused. She narrowed her eyes and studied the portion of your face that had been revealed.

"Oh~!" She perked up and happily threw herself at you. You were in awe of the way she managed to weave her way past the shield and weapon that you held. Her arms wrapped around your waist. You stared at her with wide eyes as Road placed her face close to yours. "Hello, Julian~"

You tried to bring the back of the sword down against her head, however failed when she ducked. Road took the candle she was holding, stabbing it through the side of your hand. A loud scream escaped you from the hot pain. Your hold on the weapon faltered, and it clattered to the ground. Road trailed her fingers along your wound then placed the digits near her mouth. She slipped her tongue from out her lips and lapped at the blood.

You released the shield to staunch the bleeding with your other hand, while also attempting to remove the candle. You grew sick from the pain, released the object that was pierced through your flesh, and buckled to your knees. Road jumped backwards as you used your good hand to remove your mask so that you could vomit on the ground. She squatted down in front of you. When you were only gagging on air, the girl placed a lone finger against the bottom of your chin and lifted your head so that you were gazing at her.

As she smiled at you, you managed to get over your pain long enough to remove the candle from your hand. You cut at her face with the object. Her eyes wide, Road jumped back and held a hand up to her cheek, where you had managed to injure her. You pushed off the ground, allowing the adrenaline coursing through you to do its work, and moved to stab her with her own weapon. Road easily dodged the attack.

You ducked and rolled under another display case, out of the Noah's reach. This seemed to annoy her, for she made a disgruntled noise before swearing. You rolled out from underneath the case and towards another just in time; one of the akuma slammed a large foot down on the glass, breaking it. You stared at the wreckage in horror. To think your blood and crushed bones could have been added to that mess.

By the time you jumped up to your feet, you had managed to arrive at Paolo's side. Your comrade wasted no time handing you a piece of cloth that you wrapped around your injured hand. He then proceeded to deflect the akuma's next attack with ease. You moved quickly to retrieve your bag as Edgar started to head for the pair of you. Once it was securely tightened on you once again, the three of you booked it towards the door of the museum.

Loud crashes and the sound of glass shattering and tinkling all over the ground echoed throughout the building. No doubt the akuma had crashed into display cases in their pursuit. The three of you took various detours and random turns, opting to use a side exit that could potentailly delay the akuma and Road for at least a short while. You could not remember having ever run so hard. Your legs carried you through the town, up and down various alleyways as the akuma laid to waste the paths you took moments later. Where the Noah had disappeared, you were not certain. 

Feeling your hand growing numb, you shook the limb a few times. You hoped more than anything that you would not lose the limb. You could imagine the look on Tyki's face if you showed up without--you stopped that train of thought. It was hard to think about Tyki when all you could picture was the fact that he was related to the girl who had injured you.

Paolo, Edgar and you rounded a corner. The next second, Edgar released a loud shout of pain and agony as he was slammed up against a wall, the blade of one of the akuma through his shoulder. The second akuma leveled its gun at the man's head. Your legs gave out on you. Collapsing to the ground, you stared in open-mouthed horror as light began to build at the gun's muzzle. Paolo jerked you to your feet, attempting to get you moving once more; the Innocence was your priority, he reminded you with a hiss.

Shaking, you half-turned when Road jumped down from the rooftops, landing on her feet in front of the two of you. Her hands were behind her back, and she was rocking back and forth on her feet.

"Oh, Julian, I knew you had the Innocence for me~"

You grit your teeth. "It's not for you, you fucking bitch!"

Road placed her hand to her mouth and feigned a gasp. She pouted and batted her eyelashes at you. "I thought you said I was pretty. Why are you being so mean, Julian~?"

You could not even bring yourself to reply. You looked over your shoulder back at Edgar. You knew you shouldn't, however you could not help it. Movement from in front of you drew your attention back to the Noah. She had followed your gaze and was now grinning at you.

"Let's play a game, Julian~ If you win, you can have your friend. If I win, you all get to die~"

Your lips parted. Before you could say a single word, Paolo beat you to the punch. "The fuck we'll play with you. We aren't your toys!"

"But Julian would make such a nice doll~" she said. Your vision flickered as another hallucination passed by. Cake and lollipops danced in your line of sight then disappeared.

It was then that you and Paolo noticed the floating candles that were above your heads, high in the air near the rooftop. Dozens of them. Road quirked her finger, and some of them launched down. You and Paolo jumped out of the way. The subsequent explosion of the candles, which you had not been expecting, threw the two of you off your feet. Your head hit gravel. You were almost positive you were going to have a concussion if you lived through this.

Pushing yourself back onto your feet, you stopped short when you saw the two stocking-clad legs directly in front of you. Road squatted, brushing her hand along your cheek while positioning a candle near your right eye. "You don't have to be scared, Julian~" she assured you as you released a gasp and your bottom lip trembled. "This won't be the first time I've penetrated someone's eye. There was this exorcist I played with not long ago~"

Your head spun as she spoke to you. A blade had thrust forward into your face, and you flinched, only to find that it was another hallucination.

Her lips brushed against your cheek. Your entire body was shaking in fear, and you were sure for a moment that you were about to piss your pants from being so scared. The tip of the candle moved closer and closer. You tried to tilt your head away, however her hand kept you in place. Your eyelids fluttered. You could feel the tip of the candle against the edge of your eyelids when they descended. And right at that moment a 'twang' resounded, followed by a hiss and swear from Road.

She backed away from you. Your gaze dropped instantly to the arrow that was on your right then lifted towards Road; her cheek was cut. You peered beyond the girl at the exorcist, who held the bow in place, knotting a second arrow.

"J-Jackson," you said, your heart pounding in your chest. _Please...please don't let me be hallucinating._


	16. Broken Promises

Broken Promises

Jackson's head dipped in the slightest of nods as he acknowledged your presence. All the same, his eyes were trained on Road, another arrow pointed in her direction. The Noah gave a slight pout then grinned widely. She placed her hands behind her back, rocking back and forth on her heels as she considered her options. Tilting to the side, Road easily dodged the second arrow that was released at her. Eyes flickering to you, she promised to see you soon. You knit your brow, hardly believing your eyes when a door appeared behind her and she stepped within.

It was another hallucination, you told yourself. Then your heart plummeted in your chest, for you heard the sound of the akuma's gun go off. You whipped your head around and found yourself gasping for air. What little portion of Edgar's body that remained was covered in black stars. It crumbled into dust, which blew in the wind. Glitter floated around you, a few fairies dancing about. You closed your eyes tightly, listening to the sounds of Jackson taking care of the akuma.

When you at last opened your eyes again, they filled with tears. Edgar's death had _not_ been a hallucination, as you had hoped it would be. You could only stare at the place your comrade had fallen. Jackson had moved beside you, checking your injured hand. He was talking, yet you heard nothing. Your mind was in too much of a boggle; from the hallucinations, from losing Edgar, and from the pain in your hand.

"Julian," Jackson said for the eighth time. You slowly turned your head, staring at the exorcist with your lips parted. "We need to get your mask back on, and get to the carriages before more akuma show up."

You were pulled to your feet, and a mask--a new one--was handed to you. With your good hand, you worked to secure it in place. In the meantime, Jackson was treating your hand with medical supplies he had brought with him. The Finders who had come with the exorcist were tending to Paolo, as well as documenting what had happened to Edgar. Again did your heart lurch. Sure, you had seen death before on the field. However, Edgar was...special. He was dear to you, and the weight of his loss was like a boulder rolling around in your stomach, a boulder with protruding spikes.

You buried your face in your uninjured hand as you and the others began walking towards the carriages. No words were spoken amongst you; this was common with the death of a comrade. All you could do was think about Edgar, while at the same time reminding yourself to not give into the grief. You could not-- _would_ not--turn him into an akuma, into the very creature that had murdered him. You replayed his death a number of times in your head. Gritting your teeth, you mentally swore at how helpless you had been. Road and her fucking twisted game had robbed you of Edgar.

When half an hour later you were all seated in the carriages, you at last allowed yourself a breath of relief as a painkiller started to kick in. Your hand still had a dull throb, however the piercing sensation had dissipated greatly. Jackson was seated beside you, one of the more experienced Finders across from you. In the other carriage sat Paolo and the remaining Finders. You had agreed to keep hold of the Innocence so that the rest, all uninjured parties, could be at the ready for another attack. The hallucinations had lessened with the mixture of pain medications and your new mask.

"They won't let us get away that easily," Jackson commented for what seemed like the umpteenth time. "Road wasn't injured at all...no doubt she's getting back-up. More akuma or another Noah." He shuddered, no doubt from the memory of losing his kidney to another Noah.

You pressed your lips firmly together then said, after a moment of silence from the three of you, "But why give us time to regroup?"

"We won't know _when_ they'll attack. They'll have the element of surprise." Jackson lifted his gaze to the Finder who had spoken. The man's name was Melvin. You looked at Melvin, who for a moment was outlined by shimmering rainbow gelatin.

Ready to ask another question--this time about what they planned to do when the second wave came--you instead were flung forward into Melvin's stomach as the carriage came to sudden halt. Melvin helped you back to your seat as Jackson released a swear. He seized his Innocence and exited the carriage. Your heart pounded as you caught a glimpse of the small army of akuma he would be facing. The second exorcist, whose name you had not caught, had been seated with the driver of the other carriage, and no doubt was ready to aid Jackson at that very moment. 

At a shout from Jackson, you and Melvin launched yourselves out of the other door. You managed to escape from the carriage mere seconds before it was engulfed in an explosion of akuma fire. You winced, hissing in pain as you were forced to use your injured hand to help push yourself into a standing position. The next moment you were running towards where the other carriage had been destroyed; luckily, Paolo and the others had also made an escape. The akuma were focused on committing as much destruction as was possible.

Two Noah were standing on the edge of the destruction. Road was giggling gleefully as she stood next to the Noah who wore a top hat. You only caught a brief glance of the man; just enough to know that he was the one who could remove organs. You instinctively glanced towards Jackson, who was making his way towards the Noah as he shot down some of the akuma.

"Julian, protect the Innocence at all costs," Melvin hissed at you as the two of you were forced to split away from Paolo and the others when two akuma landed between your groups. You only nodded in response, attempting to ignore the minor hallucination that was obscuring your vision.

Though you could not hear what she was saying, you were able to hear Road's voice. She was taunting the two exorcists, that much you knew. When you were able to spare another glance in the exorcists' direction, you found yourself doing a double-take. The second Noah had disappeared from view. Your heart raced in your chest. Where the fuck was he? You caught movement out of the corner of your eye from above. Sure enough, the Noah was in the sky, heading towards you with every intention of harming you with the Teez that was on his arm. 

Jumping backwards, you blocked your face with your arms and were able to shield your vitals from the rocks that flew in your direction. The Noah flexed his hand. His face was so distorted by the large grin on his face. His eyes--those pupils were stretched abnormally. Your knees trembled. 

Without a word of teasing in your direction, the Noah once again launched himself towards you. His speed took you off guard. The knee that landed squarely in your gut had you collapsing onto the ground. Spittle fell to the dirt as you gasped for air. At the same time, you forced your aching limbs to allow yourself to roll out of the way of another attack. You jumped to your feet and started a sprint towards your comrades, who were also trying to get past the akuma to join you.

You ducked just in time to avoid having his hand enter through your back. Instead it pierced a boulder. Your eyes widened considerably at the destruction. An elbow met the side of your head, causing you to lose your balance. Just as you were rolling onto your back, you found yourself freezing. Every muscle in your body seemed to tense. The Noah's hand had pierced through your chest. His left hand had simultaneously grabbed hold of the bag that contained the Innocence. It went through the material of the bag as the limb within you began rummaging around. No doubt he was trying to decide which organ to remove from your body.

Your attention was stolen by the urn, which the Noah had removed from the bag. He clenched his hand into a fist, causing the urn to crack. The Innocence was now no more than a green orb, which was at the Noah's mercy. You whipped your head back to face the Noah, your teeth grit together. You found your breath hitching as the Noah's facial features relaxed into a familiar countenance.

"T...Ty...ki..." you said, nearly breathless. The hand that was inside of you stilled. Tyki knit his brow, removing the limb. He snatched off your mask, tossing it off to the side. A swore flew from his lips. Recovering from your shock, you grabbed the Innocence from him, hopping away from him. A hand on your ankle yanked you back to the dirt. You released an oomph as tears formed in the corners of your eyes; your chin had hit hard.

"Hey there, Jules! Be a big boy and give me that Innocence~" he said with a lilt. "I don't want to have to take it by force. But...I _will_ ~"

You kicked at the hand that had a firm grasp on your ankle. Your shoe went through his flesh and met with your own skin. You moaned in slight pain. Tyki grabbed further up your other leg, his hands climbing your limbs and pulling you closer and closer to himself. You clawed at the dirt in a vain attempt to escape from him as you found yourself underneath the man you had _thought_ you'd known for years.

"I won't! You...you fucking bastard!" You managed to shake him off of you and were able to begin running away. You shoved the Innocence into your shirt, ensuring that it went past your chest bindings, where it remained secured to you.

After slipping with the start of your real name, you heard Tyki call out, "Julian!" You dared not look over your shoulder, knowing full well that he was pursuing you. You vaulted yourself over a medium-sized boulder. A swear left you at the pain that shot through your hand. "C'mon now~ It's not like...what happened to your hand?"

"Your goddamn niece shoved a fucking candle through it!" you called back, sommersaulting under his arms to avoid capture. 

He made a noise of startlement before saying something under his breath about having a talk with Road. You shook your head. In all honesty, you felt nauseous. You had let this man--this _monster_ into your home. Near your cousin! You wiped a few tears with the back of your arm while grabbing at the necklace that was tucked under your shirt with your free hand. You yanked so that the chain snapped. Then, turning to face the male Noah, you tossed the piece of jewelry hard at him. 

"You can have _that_ , you piece of shit!" You said before you found yourself crashing into the ground; it seemed that Tyki had not expected you to stop suddenly and had collided with you as a result.

You froze as you felt his arms wrap around you, pulling you to his chest. Trembling, you clutched at the Innocence that was secured to your chest. You were crying in earnest. This man, the one you had _kissed_ , had started to believe that you _loved_ was the very monster who had been removing organs from your comrades. He was an assassin for the Earl of the Millennium, who was aiming to destroy all of humanity.

"When I asked about the superpowers...you were laughing on the inside, weren't you, you bastard?" you asked, tears streaming down your cheeks. You hiccuped and sobbed, clutching the blue-green orb closer to your chest. You could not let him touch it, that was all that you could think when it came to the Innocence.

"C'mon, Jules, you're a _big boy_ ," Tyki teased, his fingers digging into yours sides. This caused you to tense and move closer to him in order to escape his grasp. "You can handle the truth, can't you~?"

"I...I hate you..." you said in a whisper, dropping your male voice and not caring who heard. You raised your eyes to him and repeated it louder. "I fucking hate you!"

Tyki's eyes widened. It felt as though time had frozen or, if nothing else, had slowed. The only indication that it had not was the sounds of battle that continued all around you. Your comrades fighting against Tyki's niece, against the akuma. You squirmed out of Tyki's hold and shuddered as you watched him stand. His pupils had altered again. He looked frustrated, angry, irate. You tensed, ready for him to act on his emotions.

He did not disappoint you. His speed was something you had underestimated again. In the blink of an eye his hands were at your neck, squeezing until you were gasping for air, clawing at his limb with both hands. He dropped one hand from your throat and reached past the bindings on your chest. Your mind hardly registered the fact that his fingers were touching portions of your cleavage as they wrapped around the Innocence. He withdrew it then tossed you to the ground. You hit and bounced.

A yelp escaped you. You jerked your head up before your jaw dropped. Tyki had once more closed the distance between the two of you. His face was in front of yours. "Don't...say... _that_ ~" He was shaking, no doubt trying to keep a grip on himself.

"Give that _back_!" you growled, equally enraged as your hands shot towards the Innocence. To your surprise, he allowed you to get a decent grasp on the orb, although you were unable to take it from his hand. He started to curl his fingers, dark matter curving around his digits. You swore, tugging more violently as cracks began to appear on the orb's surface. "Tyki, please don't. Don't! Please... Fuck you!" You screamed the final remark when the orb shattered into dust. You pounded your fists against his chest, not caring that your wounded hand split open and blood started to leak past the bandages. "Fuck you! Fuck you! I _trusted_ you! You _promised_ , you _liar_!"

"Don't be angry, (y/n)~" His face was moving closer to yours, his lips seeking yours. You turned your head, feeling him press a kiss to your cheek. "I--"

"Go jump off a mountain, Tyki!" You jerked away from him, standing and staring down at the man. You turned your attention to your comrades, who were finishing off the last few akuma. One of the Finders was missing from sight. You wondered briefly if he had passed away when you saw from your peripheral vision Tyki standing. For once he did not move to close the distance between the two of you.

"Road looks like she's having fun," he said, taking out a cigarette and lighting it. You looked at where the female Noah was battling--or, rather, playing--with the two exorcists. "You aren't really mad, are you, (y/n)?"

"I...don't ever.... _ever_ want to see you again," you said. The man looked down into the palm of his hand, wherein you noticed the ring you had thrown at him. The one he had created for you. It had symbolized the promise he had broken. He had not done all that was in his power to protect you.

Tyki extended his arm, offering you the ring. You shook your head, causing the man to say, "You know, if I hadn't destroyed it... Road would have come over here and done it herself." You averted your gaze, eyeing the ground. "(Y/n)...she didn't tell me that you were here." He had reached for your bleeding hand, which you moved behind your back. Tyki sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look...I'll...catch you later. Don't be angry~"

You dropped to your knees when he gestured to Road; it was then that the two Noah disappeared from the battlefield. Paolo ran to your side, dropping beside you with a hand on your shoulder. He asked if you were alright. All the while he had snatched up your hand and was inspecting it.

"Paolo..." You looked him in the eye, wondering why he looked so shell-shocked. "Paolo... Tyki is... he..."

"You're a girl?" Your eyes widened. You had forgotten to reassume your male voice, which you had abandoned when conversing with Tyki.

"I..." You jerked your hand away from his. Paolo quickly grabbed it back, slipping his mask onto your face as the other Finders and the two exorcists arrived. They all swore upon realizing that the Innocence had been destroyed.

Paolo helped you into a standing position. You winced, your abdomen hurting from where Tyki had managed to kick you. "I should have taken it instead of Julian. He was injured already... They had him at an advantage."

Jackson nodded, accepting this response. The other exorcist was more reluctant, however soon agreed that the Innocence should have been taken from you and given to one of the other Finders, if not an exorcist. "We'll share the blame... Julian, you need to get your ribs inspected by a medic," Jackson said, eyeing the way you were holding your sides.

When the others headed towards the remains of the carriages, you found yourself scooped up by Paolo. He placed his mouth beside your ear and whispered, "I won't tell. They wouldn't... You'd get killed. And, Jules--or whatever your name is--you do a damn fine job."

"It's...(y/n)..." You spoke in a distant voice as your mind once again ventured towards the subject of Tyki. You could not help but remember all the time you had spent with him. With Clark and Momo and Eeze. Even discovering that he was in reality a nobleman had not been such a heavy blow. This though... _this_ left a heavy feeling in your chest.

"(Y/n)," Paolo said softly. Your eyes focused on his face. "What you were saying about Tyki... that was Tyki and Road.... Minister Kamelot's relations, weren't they?" You could only dip your head in a nod. Paolo swore, pondering aloud if Central knew of this. You furrowed your brow, beginning to protest when the man holding you said: "What could they do? To act differently towards Minister Kamelot...the man could declare war." You felt sick all over again.

Closing your eyes, you said softly, "Tyki...knows that I'm a woman." You could feel the muscles in Paolo's arms tense. "I... My cousin and I took Tyki in..."

"Fuck!" You opened your eyes and found yourself met with Paolo's blushing face. "You're... the lady in the picture Tyki had..." You nodded slowly. "(Y/n)...you... Your rib feels like it's broken."

You dropped your gaze to the bone that Paolo shifted his fingers from. "Yeah... It really hurts. I just didn't... I tried to keep the Innocence..." Tears were streaming down your face, and you were thankful for the mask covering it. "I didn't know he was a Noah. I hadn't known...he promised he'd protect me....he....I....I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," Paolo said softly, pressing his lips against the top of your head. "Hey... we're getting closer to the others. Try to keep quiet, alright? I'll share a room with you tonight...and you can cry all you need to then." You trusted yourself enough to only nod your head. Your chest felt heavy with the sobs that wanted to come out.


	17. Confronting the Nightmare

Confronting the Nightmare

You were curled up beside Paolo, your face buried against his chest as you sobbed. A few hisses of pain were released through your gritted teeth as he worked at binding your chest in a way that would support your broken rib. It had been a minor break, you were glad to know, and no organs or muscle had been punctured. You sighed as Paolo withdrew his hands. A moment later he wrapped a single arm securely around you, tugging you gently closer so that your cries were muffled. He had been true to his word in getting you a room alone with him so that you could cry. You took this reprieve from holding in your emotions and turmoil to abuse your throat with sobs, cries, and a few screams--the volume you still kept in check so that your comrades in the rooms around you could not hear and discover your true gender.

Paolo ran a hand through your hair, rubbing the top of your head in a soothing manner. He did not say a word to you; opting instead to allow you to get out all of your feelings. In time your tears dried up and you were hiccup-sobbing, which caused some pain in your injured side.

"I let him near my cousin... Eeze looks up to Tyki, and the man... All the times he brought silver home to my cousin, it was...it was from...exorcists..." You closed your eyes tightly, shaking your head. "Paolo, I don't even know what I should tell the Order. What should I tell them?"

"You can't...tell them anything," he said softly after a period of silence. "They'd investigate the connection. You'd be found out, and... Jules... (Y/n), it probably wouldn't even be as easy as death. It'd be more than that."

You pressed your lips tightly together. You knew what he was implying; you would be tortured for your lies and for the fact that you had inside knowledge on the Noah--even if you didn't know it yourself. Running your uninjured hand through your hair, you grumbled out that you were going to go take a shower. Paolo made no comment, although he shifted to allow you an easier time to move off of the bed. On the way you snatched up a towel and a change of clothes then entered the bathroom.

It felt wonderful to be able to take off your chest bindings. You massaged your sore breasts for a moment then dropped your hands to your side. Eyeing your injured limb, you found yourself cursing Road. The injury would leave a horrible scar. You wrapped your hand up in some plastic to ensure you would not get it wet then hopped into the shower. You first washed your hair then your body. After this, you allowed a few minutes for the water to carry all the soap down the drain. Then, sitting down in the tub, you turned off the shower head in favor of allowing the bath to fill. 

You relaxed against the edge and closed your eyes. There was a pounding in your head, the start of a headache that had the potential to turn into a migraine. Stress, you told yourself. That was the cause. Tyki had left you in a horrible position. Granted, he had begged you continuously to leave the Order...yet if you had, you perhaps would have never known the truth about him. He was a cold-blooded killer. All at once, all you could think about was that strange glint he would occasionally get in his eye when he would roughhouse with you or Clark and Momo. The absolute, inhuman delight.

A knock on the outer door drew your attention. You listened as Paolo answered it; one of the other Finders was talking with him, stating something about everyone meeting up for drinks to help ease the pain of the loss. Paolo responded by saying you and he would be there shortly. A few lines of conversation that you were unable to understand transpired. When Paolo entered the bathroom, you jumped. You hissed in pain at the way you had tensed your hand. It stung horribly.

Thankful that the curtain was hiding your body from the man's sight, you still remained on edge. Paolo had shut the door behind himself then knelt by where he assumed your head was; it was a correct guess. "Melvin's here. I told him we'd meet up with them for drinks, but... Well, he's wondering how you're doing and--he almost walked in."

You winced upon hearing this. That would have been fantastic to have your cover blown while naked. You pulled the plug on the tub, stood, and reached out for a towel. Paolo handed you one, which you used to wrap up your body. You then stepped out of the tub, greeted by Paolo's wandering eyes. A light tint of blush covered his cheeks; no doubt he had not expected to see you in such a state.

Mouthing a quick 'thank you' to him, you grabbed up your chest binding and moved to return to the tub. Halting, you released a light swear. While undoing the bindings was not too difficult with only one hand, to tie them up would be rather trying. Paolo shifted from one leg to the other then awkwardly lifted a hand. You eyed the limb for a time before setting the bindings there. Turning around, you shifted the towel so that it was below your breasts. You watched the man in the mirror, which he averted his eyes from. Paolo was a perfect gentleman in the way he assured that he did not get the slightest glimpse of your chest so long as he could help it. He bound your chest for you then turned around so that you could put on a fresh pair of underwear. Afterwards, the man helped you into the last bit of your clothes.

"Uh...thanks," you said, unable to meet his gaze. He ran a hand through his hair, nodding as a reply.

The two of you exited the bathroom together to find Melvin had sank down into one of the chairs and was doing what was termed 'touch-and-go's'. He nodded off until Paolo went over and tapped his shoulder. Melvin instantly snapped to attention, looking over at you and asking you how you were doing. Shrugging, you replied that you had been better.

"A broken rib, a hole in the hand...plus who knows what other injuries... I'd imagine you've been better," Melvin said with a snort. 

**Two Weeks Later**

You were on medical leave while your broken rib and hand injury healed. Paolo had been assigned to stick with you; more precisely, he had requested to remain by your side. The two of you were in charge of sorting through paperwork and doing other simple tasks that would not exacerbate your wounds. Currently you were glancing through a document for any errors. Paolo was doing likewise with a second paper. The hand that was not holding the page was on your foot, rubbing.

Glancing up, you immediately returned your gaze to the page when you found that he had chanced a look at you that same instant. It was not the first time the two of you had done such an act. For the past few weeks, you had found yourself growing rather fond of Paolo. He was a good Finder, and an even better man. That he kept your secret spoke volumes of his character; he refused to cast such a horrible fate upon you as discovery would lead to. The man helped you with your bindings still, although the last three days you were able to do it yourself with only minimal assistance.

"It's kind of stuffy in this hotel... You think you'll be feeling up to leaving soon?" Paolo asked, squeezing your foot gently. You shrugged, commenting that you were feeling better but weren't sure what the medics would advise. 

Setting the paper off to the side, you settled down into bed. You were tired, having gone for a nice, long walk with Paolo earlier in the day. The man smiled at you, wished you pleasant dreams, and then moved off into the adjoining room so that he would not disturb you while you slept. You dozed off nearly immediately. Not in a deep slumber, however, you were roused when you felt something lightly touch your forehead. You opened your eyes, squinting at what appeared to be a person's chest as they leaned over you.

Not doubting that you had just been kissed on the forehead, you furrowed your brow. Why would Paolo do--but that wasn't the shirt Paolo was wearing. Your gaze shot upwards, your eyes widening. With a sharp intake of breath, you jerked towards the headboard. Tyki shifted, pivoting his torso so that he could better look at you. Teeth grit, you glanced towards the door then back at Tyki. If you called Paolo, you doubted the man sitting on your bed would spare your comrade.

"Wh-what the _hell_ are you doing here?" you spoke in a harsh whisper.

Tyki adjusted the glasses on his face. Knowing that he did not even need the lenses made them seem out of place despite the fact that he had worn them throughout your entire relationship with the man. "I always kiss you goodnight...after you fall asleep. It seems I didn't wait long enough this time~"

"Get out." You slapped away his hand, which had been reaching for yours. He winced, obviously pained. "You have _no_ right to--"

"(Y/n)," Tyki said, placing his hands on either side of your head. You pressed your head firmly against the pillow, turning to the side as he lowered his lips, which met your cheek. "Please...don't... Don't be angry." 

Tyki started to make his way to your mouth, his kisses soft. You whipped your head around the other side quickly, making the man sigh. He then changed course, moving to your neck. You whimpered as you felt his lips ghost over your flesh. His hands shifted so fast you were unable to track their movements with your eyes. Next you knew, he was holding either of your hands in his, pressing them firmly against the bed as his teeth caressed your neck. You could feel his eyelashes batting against your skin as he blinked a few times. 

"I'm sorry I broke your rib--I hadn't meant to."

"Just stop." He sighed and, while he did not kiss you more, remained in the same position. "Tyki, you... How could you step foot inside _my_ house all those times when the previous day you were off _killing_ people. All that silver you gave to Eeze... You're _sick_!"

Tyki groaned, his grip on your hands tightened. You closed your eyes, your still-healing hand throbbing with a dull ache that was more annoyance than anything. You still wanted to scream out to Paolo, but continued to worry that Tyki would kill him. You could not bear to see Tyki murder anyone, but especially someone you had grown fond of.

"(Y/n)...you _don't_ understand. I was _born_ into the Noah family...it's not something you can simply choose." While speaking, the man had shifted his body so that he was aligned with yours. "I love both my lives~"

"Well I _hate_ both of them," you said, narrowing your eyes, yanking your hands. He snatched them back up, his glasses falling down his nose at the sudden movement. "I could take you being a noble, Tyki, and us being your little hobo family on the side. But that's not it. It's not that simple at all. You've lied about _everything_!"

"...and if it had been you?"

"Wh-what?" You furrowed your brow in confusion.

Tyki sighed, resting his forehead against yours. His glasses slipped further, hitting against your nose. "If Eeze was the one to go off on missions for _your_ family. Let's say the family decided he was best suited to do the assassinations. You'd just abandon him?"

"Tyki, Eeze is my family. You can't--"

"The Noah are _my_ family, (Y/n)!" he growled out the words. "You think I can just abandon them? And you guys...Clark and Momo and I were together before I awoke as a Noah... And then I met you and Eeze, and... Shit, (y/n), it's not just simple checkers where you have a black and white set of queens trying to--"

"That's chess, Tyki."

The man snorted, and you pictured him rolling his eyes despite that you refused to look at his face. Tyki ran his hands up and down your arms. You remembered all the times you and he had cuddled in the past. Back before you had learned who he was. Angered, you turned back so that you could look him in the eye. He blinked at you.

"I want you to leave, Tyki."

Tyki quirked a brow. "You really should come home, (y/n). Eeze is missing you something awful."

"I..." Your eyes widened as you realized the implications of his words. "You...you went back to _my house_? After... Holy fuck, Tyki, you better stay the _hell_ away from my cousin!"

You sat up quickly, and Tyki moved backwards to allow for such movement. He was sitting on the bed across from you. An amused grin splayed on his lips. This infuriated you; it was as though he were saying there was nothing you could do about it unless you returned home yourself. He was, even if he realized it or not, trapping you into a corner to get what he had been wanting for so long--for you to stop being a Finder.

"You bastard, I--" You released an indignant scream that was muffled by his mouth, which had sealed over yours. His tongue thrust into your orifice, prodding at your organ. His moan caused you to snarl into the kiss. You tried to jerk your head away, but his hands only pulled you closer. Only when he was satisfied did he let you break off the kiss. Even then, his mouth hovered close by yours. You could feel his breath on you as you gulped in air. "Get your disgusting mouth away from mine. You damn fucker, you want to destroy humanity, so stop pretending to be all chummy with me."

"(Y/n)...the Noah want to destroy humanity, but... I still like humans... I like you...a lot."

"Bullshit."

You slapped him across the face when you hissed out that word. Tyki opened his mouth, ready to follow up with a retort, when the two of you heard the door begin to open. The man frowned and walked through the wall behind your headboard. You shuddered, not used to watching such a thing occur. A moment later Paolo walked into the room, a look of panic and confusion on his face. You met his gaze, your mind working at fast pace.

"S-sorry... I was having a nightmare."

"I heard...did you hit something?" You nodded, adjusting yourself under the blankets. Turning over, you told Paolo that you were still tired and going to sleep for a bit longer. "I think... I'll stay here while you sleep. You're obviously having a tough time right now."

"Yeah." _You have no idea..._


	18. Dealing with the Monster

Dealing With the Monster

It was times like these that you could really appreciate the fact that you were a Finder and not an Exorcist. You had been able to pull the 'family emergency' card and were granted a brief trip home. Paolo had tagged along, no doubt suspicious. You had already thought of several color ways you wanted to murder Tyki when you came into contact with him. You grabbed your bag off the train, hauling ass towards your home. Paolo rushed to keep up with you, his hands reaching for your luggage. He pulled it out of your hands before you could protest. You grumbled out a half-hearted thanks then increased your speed.

Sighing, your comrade followed behind you. You weaved your way through the streets, not bothering to return a few 'hellos' as townsfolk recognized you; you had returned to your feminine clothes for Eeze's sake. You slammed open the door to your home after unlocking it. Marching right inside, you glowered at the empty abode. It was work day. Of _course_ no one would be home. Paolo and you headed for the bedroom, where you dropped off your bags. Turning on your heel, you froze and whipped your head towards one of the beds.

A lump under the sheets had caught your eye. Your feet pattered against the floor as you rushed to the side of the bed, pulling the blanket off of the body underneath. Tyki grumbled, glaring up at you before looking rightly startled.

"(Y-y/n)--"

"Get the fuck out of my house."

Tyki frowned, sitting up and throwing the blankets off of his lap. You swore, whipping around to avoid seeing him in his boxers. Damn, evil as he was, he had great abs. You closed your eyes, shaking your head. It was time to put your history with the man behind you. You needed to get past your feelings for him and finish kicking him out of your home, out of your life. You could hear him pulling on a pair of pants just as Paolo reentered the bedroom. Your comrade swore, running a hand through his hair and looking around, at a loss of what to do.

"The fuck are _you_ doing here?" Tyki asked. You looked over your shoulder at him then returned your attention to Paolo. Waving your hand in a dismissive gesture, you urged the man not to answer. "You _invited_ him? (Y/n), this is our home--"

"This is _my_ home. _You're_ not allowed here anymore." You snapped your fingers, gesturing towards the door. "And don't even think of talking to Eeze at all." Just as you were wrapping up that last sentence, the front door opened. "Fuck!" Lunch hour. You could hear Momo, Clark, and Eeze all chatting with one another. You cast a glare over your shoulder at Tyki then exited the bedroom, dragging Paolo along with you. There was _no_ way you were going to leave Tyki and Paolo alone in a room together.

"(Y/n)!" the three exclaimed in surprise. 

Eeze ran over to you, wrapping his arms around you in a tight hug. You returned the embrace, smiling widely despite the situation that had brought you home. It was always nice to see your cousin. Standing up straight again, you proceeded to introduce Paolo to the three, who had already been giving the man curious glances. Clark and Momo shook hands with Paolo while Eeze just waved hi. Your cousin, much to your disappointment, headed towards Tyki, who was emerging from the bedroom.

"Oi, you forget to take your lunches to work, eh?" Tyki rubbed the top of Eeze's head affectionately. The gesture made your heart ache, a lump forming in your throat.

Eeze nodded. "But (y/n) is home!"

"Uh...yeah..." he sighed, drawing Clark and Momo's attention onto him. They looked between you and Tyki a number of times. "She and I were just about to step outside for a talk."

He grabbed you by the upper arm, dragging you with him. You called over your shoulder for Eeze to show Paolo around the kitchen. Once outdoors, Tyki released his hold on you. You turned to face him, crossing your arms over your chest and waiting for him to speak first. Rather than doing so, the man pulled out a cigarette, lighting it up. He took a drag on it. As he exhaled, you found yourself shaking your head and rolling your eyes. You wanted nothing more than to punch the man in the face...yet your damn eyes were drawn to his bare chest and abdomen.

"You can touch 'em if you want." You shot him a look of disgust, inwardly feeling very taken aback. Chuckling, he snatched up your hands. You tensed, moving to yank away your limbs just as he placed the tips of your fingers against his stomach, your thumbs near the top of his pants.

Blushing deeply, you were too startled to move your trembling fingers off of him. "T-Ty-Tyki... This..." He had started to move your hands up and down his stomach, allowing you to feel his muscles. "I... You need to leave on a 'mission'...and never come back again. Just stay away from Eeze." You had at last managed to place your hands behind your back, out of the man's reach.

"How long's your break?" Tyki asked after a particularly long drag on the cigarette.

"What?"

"Just...how long, (y/n)?"

"I don't know...six days tops, I guess." He blew out a puff of smoke. "Wait, you aren't--"

"Come on. Six days. You and I can talk about this. You'll see, things between us haven't changed."

"Haven't changed? Tyki you _broke_ my rib. Your _neice_ has stabbed holes in both my shoulder and my hand. You see this?" He flinched when you showed him the forming scar. "I don't want you around my cousin."

"Fuck, (y/n), just give it a few days. We can balance our two lives together."

"I don't--"

"Oh...and...you think it a good idea to leave Paolo with Clark and Momo? You know they have crushes on you... They won't let a guy like that alone."

"Fuck." Turning to go back into the house, you grabbed his arm. "This conversation isn't finished."

"Mmm. I _love_ when you're talking to me~"

You grumbled under your breath as you and Tyki entered your home. Sure enough, Paolo was awkwardly answering questions that both Clark and Momo were throwing at him, meanwhile Eeze was watching with a bit of amusement. He was just telling him how he had discovered your gender on a mission, albeit with leaving out a few details such as Tyki's part in the ordeal. Clark and Momo shifted a bit, reluctantly thanking him for taking such good care of you. The two were obviously upset upon learning of the various injuries you had incurred. Eeze, meanwhile, looked at you with a bit of hurt on his face.

"Don't worry, hun, I'm really okay," you said, leaving Tyki's side to wrap your arms around your cousin's shoulders.

"But you broke a rib, (y/n)," Clark protested.

Momo, meanwhile, argued, "Your hand...that's a horrible scar. And your shoulder? You need to stay home. We'll manage, (y/n). We always have."

"You guys are so sweet to me," you said, smiling fondly at them. In the corner of your eye, you saw Tyki leaning against the counter, a small grin on his face as he watched you. "Anyway, you both need to be nice to Paolo."

"We were being nice," Momo grumbled.

Clark smirked. "Yeah, he's fifteen years older than you. We ain't worried."

"Oh God, you guys." You buried your face into your hands, mortified. "Look, I'm going to shopping and pick up some things so I can make you dinner. I pulled the 'family emergency' card so I only have roughly six days. We're gonna have a great time. Now...Paolo, come with me." Noticing Tyki heading for the seat by your cousin, you swore in your head while adding, "Tyki, you too. Go put a shirt on."

**Shopping**

Needless to say, it was awkward having Paolo and Tyki walk on either side of you. They kept insulting one another whereever and whenever possible. You were about ready to shove them both into random food displays. If they weren't currently helping you carry the grocery bags, you would have done just that. You supposed you should be used to it, living with Clark, Momo and Tyki who would all get into mini-arguments such as the ones Tyki and Paolo kept having. Then again, the other two did not have the whole 'Tyki tried to kill them' bit.

"Well, at least I didn't force (y/n) to kiss me for some half-assed truth about the Noah when really you--"

"Oh God, you two, please just stop." You were half tempted to dart into a random store to get away from the two. The fact that Paolo kept bringing up valid points and that Tyki continuously brought up pleasant memories from the past was confusing you greatly. The way Tyki was sizing up Paolo definitely had you worried. "Hey, so, Tyki, would you mind running these all back while Paolo and I shop for a few things?"

"Why do you want to be alone with Paolo?"

"Huh? There are at least fifty other people around us just right here. Stop being paranoid."

"Look, (y/n), I'm not leaving you alone with him."

"Well, I sure as hell am _not_ letting myself be alone with _you_. You're evil and... and... Will you stop whistling while I'm talking?"

"As soon as you stop talking crazy."

"You know what? Fine." You grabbed the bags from Paolo's arms, shoving them into Tyki's. You then snatched up Paolo's arm, tugging him as you quickened your pace. "Those fish need to be in the fridge soon or else they'll go bad and we won't be able to have them for dinner," you called over your shoulder.

Eight minutes later found you and Paolo trying on new shoes side-by-side as you groaned, running your hands through your hair. "I don't even know what to do. Eeze is going to be heartbroken. If I could explain the whole truth, that would be one thing. But I can't, and... ugh!"

"Clark and Momo aren't going to... They knew Tyki first, huh?" You nodded. "Yeah, (y/n), you're in quite the situation."

"Yeah...and Tyki thinks if we spend a few days together, things are going to go back to how they were." Paolo shot you a look that spoke volumes of his opinion on that matter. "Trust me, I know. If I try to drag Eeze away from all of them, though... What the fuck am I supposed to do? I work as a Finder, and I can't leave Eeze in a home all by himself."

"Why don't... You could... My sister is... That is..." 

The two of you were blushing terribly, both avoiding the other's gaze. It was sweet of him to offer such a thing. You placed your hand atop his, awkwardly entwining your fingers. When a larger hand settled atop yours, however, both you and Paolo looked behind you. Tyki worked your hands apart, glaring at Paolo's limb in a way that told you he was imagining severing the man's wrist.

"I'm not leaving Eeze," Tyki said, attempting to hold your hand, which you yanked away from him. "He's old enough to make his own decisions."

"He's eleven, Tyki. Eleven."

"He's a young man."

"Eleven!"

"Will be going through puberty soon."

"Oh, gosh, Tyki, I don't want to talk about this."

"Think leaving him with Paolo's sister will make that time in his life less awkward? Uh-uh. The boy needs men around him, (y/n). _Men_."

"Uh, no, I'm pretty sure what he needs is someone who's not raising carnivorous butterflies and implanting them in people to eat their organs. He needs a stable household, and--"

"And you didn't even know about those in your household, so your argument is invalid." He had placed his hands on either of your shoulders and started to rub. You grit your teeth, hating how wonderful it felt to have him massaging you. "Only you and Paolo know. I'll make you a deal, if it'd ever cause a problem for Eeze--my whole being a Noah--I'll leave. You won't even have to tell me to. All that has to happen is Paolo and you keep your mouths shut about the matter. Simple, right?"

"No," Paolo and you said in unison.

Tyki rubbed his chin, pausing for a moment of thought. "So it makes more sense to the two of you that I just randomly leave out of Eeze's life, taking Momo and Clark with me. Because Eeze, Clark and Momo's feelings on the whole thing--and the fact that they'll essentially know shit--means nothing to you both."

"Fuck." You tilted your head back, staring up at the sky. Paolo had also released a swear. The two of you shared a look.

Paolo was the one to speak. "Let's see how it goes these six days. I ain't leaving, Julian--uh, (y/n), you don't have to worry."

"Fine."

"Wait...Paolo's staying in _our house_?" You glared at Tyki. "Where's he going to sleep?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the way I figure it, you'll be bunking with Eeze. Clark and Momo won't want to share a bed with him. I sure as shit don't. Huh...guess the couch then, huh?"

"Or _you_ could sleep on the couch," you said, turning away from the Portuguese male. "Y'know, be a gentleman."

"I'm _not_ leaving him in a room with you."

"Tyki, Paolo and I have been working together for a bit now. We've shared rooms before."

"I know. I kissed you goodnight after you fell asleep each night I was around, remember? That was out of my hands. This isn't."

"Wait, he what? You what?" You placed a hand on Paolo, all the while you pressed your lips tightly together.

"I'll talk to Clark and Momo. Worse comes to worse, I'll have one of them bunk with Eeze while I sleep on the couch."

"Aw, (y/n), don't do that. Fuck it. I'll sleep on the couch," Tyki said, wrestling out a cigarette and lighting it up. You could tell how frustrated he was by how many cigarettes he went through on the walk home.


	19. Hearing Both Sides

Hearing Both Sides

Five sets of eyes were trained on the bathroom door, yours included. Clark and Momo were stunned over how long Tyki had been in the shower. Eeze was asking if all the warm water would run out. Paolo sat there awkwardly, at a loss of what to do knowing the enemy was in your household, naked. As for you? You were wondering if it were possible for the man to drown before he ran up your water bill any further. Granted he would no doubt pitch in the money for the bill, that did not make things better. You did not want his dirty money. 

Your attention swayed towards your cousin, who was beginning to get that tired look in his eye. Bedtime was fast approaching now that dinner was done. Tyki had been in the shower ever since; that was a good forty-five minutes ago. When Clark and Momo inquired as to whether you had gotten into a fight with Tyki, you pressed your lips tightly together and scowled. This had caused Eeze to grow visibly depressed, which only upset you further. How could such an evil man have formed a bond with your cousin? Why couldn't you have taken in some other hobo, one who wasn't part of the Noah family?

At long last, after grumbling to yourself a bit, you marched over to the bathroom and flung open the door. This earned you several protests and startled exclamations from Clark, Momo and Paolo. You ignored them, storming into the bathroom and slamming the door closed behind you. You spoke in a harsh whisper, hoping this would prevent Clark, Momo and Eeze--especially Eeze--from hearing anything that was said.

"You can choose to have the dirt not tell you, so I know damn well this long of a shower is unnecessary!"

You could see Tyki's silhouette shift behind the curtain. He leaned back, drawing aside the curtain far enough so that you could see his face, which had on a rather shocked expression. It was clear he had believed himself to be imagining your voice. His eyes darted towards the door then returned to you.

"I'm naked in here, you know," he commented. You stared at him with a 'no shit' expression, rolling your eyes and turning around so that you did not have to look at him any longer. Crossing your arms over your chest, you glared a hole at the door. "Look, (y/n), I don't like what Road did to you. I... I would never have hurt you like that."

"You _did_ hurt me like that, Tyki. You broke my rib! You destroyed the Innocence. You...you've been lying to me for years!" Tears were forming in your eyes. You wiped at them, hating yourself for crying even the slightest bit. "What's worse is that bullshit promise you made me! That stupid ring... God, I'm so _stupid_."

Tyki sighed, reaching over and turning off the water. He extended one arm out from behind the curtain, tugging in a towel and wrapping it around himself. Stepping out of the shower, Tyki walked over to you. He hesitated, his hand outstretched to touch you. A frown was on his lips. It was clear that he hated the reluctance to have physical contact with you, despised the way you flinched away from him and tucked yourself into the corner of the bathroom. Your eyes were trained on the floor.

"You used your position in the Noah family...your knowledge of it... You played me for a fool...all for some stupid kiss. How _cheap_ do you think that makes me feel?"

He looked greatly taken aback then hurt as you turned from him, leaving the bathroom and slamming the door behind you. Clark and Momo shifted uncomfortably, asking if you were okay. You responded by telling them that you were going for a walk. Paolo moved to follow you, however you told him that you simply wanted to be alone. He hesitated, not keen on the idea of you being alone so late in the evening. This did not dissuade you from leaving after giving Eeze a quick kiss, telling him that you would come in and say goodnight to him if he had already gone to bed by the time you returned home.

A chunk of time later found you sitting on the dock of the beach where first you had seen Road Kamelot. You winced at the memory. If only you could go back in time, you told yourself, and stop yourself from bringing Tyki into your home. Said man stepped up behind you, moving to your side and taking a seat. You scowled. Your anger hardly ebbed when he set a cup of warm cocoa by your feet. Tyki relaxed, looking up towards the sky and sighing.

The blanket of silence that had risen between the two of you was a welcomed one. You peered into the water, watching the undulations upon the surface. How peaceful everything seemed on top. Who knew what was going on down below? Your eyes dropped to the mug. If you took a drink, did that count as accepting his apology? His company? You nudged it a few centimeters away with your toe. Tyki watched you from the corner of his eye, flinching at your actions.

The man turned to you at last, resting a hand gently against your cheek. You closed your eyes, holding back a wince. You could not help but tremble at his touch, knowing full well what he was capable of. If he wanted, he could reach into your chest and rip out your heart. He could twist your insides and leave you to a painful death. Or, he could press one of his Teez into you and leave you in agony. Tyki did none of these things, instead leaning so that his forehead touched yours.

"I didn't mean to make you feel cheap," he said softly. You released a ragged breath, choking down a sob. Why did he have to sound so kind, so sincere? He pressed his lips gently to yours in a brief kiss. "I never wanted you to feel like that." He repeated the gesture, his mouth sealing over yours. You trembled, not responding to the kiss but not pulling back either.

Tyki shifted, his leg knocking over the cup of cocoa as he gently laid you down and moved on top of you. You shuddered underneath him, trembling yet too terrified to move or protest. His lips claimed yours over and over again, gentle yet growing in passion and intensity. He tilted up your chin, urging you to reciprocate his attentions. Your hands, shaking, clung onto the front of his shirt. You turned your head, causing the man above you to sigh. He did not remain disappointed for long, however. Tyki resumed his displays of affection by giving your cheek and jaw line light nips and kisses.

"Tyki... I...I can't do this..."

"Why not?" he asked, nuzzling you with the tip of his nose to your cheek. You stared diagonally towards the stars that were beginning to shine in the sky. "I terrify you, don't I?" Tyki asked after a minute of your silence transpired. Your chest felt heavy. You wiped at your eyes though no tears were spilling. "You don't have to be afraid of me, (y/n)."

"You've already hurt me...so badly... Not just by breaking my rib, Tyki. You hurt me so much... I don't know if I could ever trust you again. You keep telling me to try, b-but--" You hiccupped, burying your face into the material of his shirt. You could feel him kissing the top of your head. "The things you do... You hurt--you _kill_ \--so many good people."

"Oh, (y/n)," Tyki said with a deep sigh, "the world isn't black and white like that."

"I wish it were," you whispered, feeling his hands stroking your sides. "Because...I don't want to feel like this... How can I hate you and l... How can I feel two strong emotions that are completely opposite from one another...how can I feel them at the same time towards you?"

Tyki drew back, his breath hitching. He stared down into your face, a fond smile soon growing on his features. You averted your gaze, no longer able to look him in the eye. The man reached up, brushing aside your tears with his knuckles. He leaned down once more, placing a kiss on the corner of your mouth. He paused, staring searchingly into your face before claiming your mouth. You closed your eyes, feeling his soft lips moving against yours, caressing yours. 

"I won't hurt you like that again, (y/n)," he said, slipping his tongue into your mouth a moment later. You shuddered at the feel of it, the way it was exploring you. He caressed your tongue with his, prodding at it until you were forced to move it. He slid your two organs along each other. You shuddered again, whimpering then moaning. Tyki pulled back, starting a trail of kisses down your jaw to your neck. He nipped at you. "I won't. I promise."

"But you break your promises," you said, keeping your eyes closed. Your heart was pounding in your chest, your mind sending you mixed signals. You wanted this but you didn't. You loved Tyki yet you hated him. He terrified you yet he excited you. His hands worked themselves up your shirt and began to knead your chest. You gasped, your mouth soon claimed once more by his as he slid up your body.

Tyki withdraw one hand from your chest in favor of caressing the side of your face. He them grabbed up one of your hands, entwining your fingers together. "You _know_ me now though. You know I'm a Noah, you know what I do... There's nothing secret from you about me."

"I'm not so sure."

He chuckled. "Well, nothing so serious~"

You swallowed thickly, your throat feeling tight. "I really can't do this right now, Tyki, I'm so confused."

"Shh," he said, giving your forehead a kiss. You closed your eyes again. It felt so familiar, his touch. You'd known him for years, yet he had been a stranger. He was so gentle with you right now, but he was pushing so hard. He was starting to strip you of your clothes and leave you defenseless against the cold air, and yet he was wrapping you in his body and keeping you warm. You lay clad only in your bra and underwear underneath the man, who wore only his boxers. "It's okay."

Tyki claimed your mouth again, wrapping your legs around his waist. You trembled. You were terrified yet excited. You were nervous yet for some reason felt as though he would not hurt you. His touch was dangerous and yet he was holding you as though he would protect you from death itself. Tyki drew you against himself, kissing you passionately as he ran his fingers through your hair. He made no move to strip you further, no move to remove the last bit of clothing from either of your bodies. He simple kissed the scar on your shoulder, licked over the area your rib had been broken. Tenderly pressed his lips to your scarred hand.

"Just give me a chance, (y/n)," he said, drawing his shirt around you, pulling it over your head. You felt less exposed to the elements of nature, even more comfortable sitting there in his lap. "Just a few days. I won't hurt you or Eeze. Paolo's a stranger to us--he doesn't know us. I want _you_ to decide. I don't want him to answer for you."

"Tyki," you said weakly. He wrapped his arms around you, hugging you tightly and burying his face into the crook of your neck. You had never seen him so defenseless, so at a loss for what to do. "It's just so easy for you to kill."

"Yet I'm choosing to love you," he said, turning so that his face was in yours. Your lips parted and your eyes widened. "I love you, (y/n)." His mouth claimed yours hungrily and, for the first time, you responded in earnest though the tears started falling from your eyes again.

***

He had carried you home to bed after helping you pull back on your pants. Tyki had put on his pants as well, carrying your shirt over his arm as he cradled you. Paolo had reacted furiously at your state, while Momo and Clark both displayed signs of jealousy. You, after slinking out of Tyki's arms, had peeked in on Eeze, giving him a goodnight kiss. Returning to the main area of the home, you took a seat by Paolo. He said nothing more until the other men went to bed, the three of them having work in the morning. Tyki gave the top of your head a quick kiss before he slunk into the bedroom, scowling at Paolo.

Your comrade then turned to you, his voice soft as he asked, "Why? How?"

You put a hand over your mouth, allowing your eyes to close. Shaking your head, you tried to sort through all the confusion that was settled in your mind. You could smell his scent on the edge of the sleeve; his shirt had absorbed the smell of his cigarettes as well as his body odor. You lowered your hand, staring down helplessly into your lap.

"Don't let him fool you, (y/n)," Paolo said gently. "He's just trying to get his way. To keep you under his control. He enjoys being able to live a double life, that's obvious from all you've told me. He doesn't want to give it up. You're the only thing standing in his way. He'll do _anything_. You think he won't make sure you die on the battlefield so that he can comfort Eeze? Then you won't be able to dictate anything anymore. You'll be _gone_."

"But...he said he loved me..."

"Lust and love aren't the same thing," Paolo said with a scowl.

You sighed heavily. "It's...it's not like that. I've seen Tyki, the way he acts around women he just wants to screw... It's...it wasn't like that at all."

"Because he's a manipulative bastard. Look at the way he used the Noah ordeal to get a kiss from you." You winced at the memory. "Remember the promise he made you? How easy it was for him to break your rib, to destroy that Innocence when you begged him not to. I can get him staying here with Eeze. I can get you giving into that to protect your cousin from hurt and confusion--plus who knows what Tyki would do in retaliation. But to give up _yourself_? That's bullshit, (y/n)."

You sighed again. You did not know what was right anymore.

**

The majority of the following day you spent in bed while Eeze and the three men were at work. Paolo did some exploring around the town, allowing you time to mope when you begged him to leave you alone for a while. You tossed and turned on the bed, placing your fingers to your lips and remembering the way Tyki had kissed you, all the words he had said. You soon startled when a second body plopped onto the bed next to you. Turning over, you watched as your cousin finished kicking off his work boots. He laid back on the bed next to you, putting his arms behind his head and staring up at the ceiling.

"Why are you mad at Tyki? Is it because he doesn't like you seeing Paolo?"

You gave him a strange look. "Who said I was seeing Paolo?" Eeze shrugged, stating that he had just guessed that was the case since you seemed to joke less with Tyki. You frowned. There was really no way you could force Tyki to leave Eeze. "I'm not...seeing Paolo, that is."

"But you're mad at Tyki?"

"It's really complicated, Eeze."

"How?"

"Well..." You bit your bottom lip. You _hated_ keeping such important things secret from your cousin, however you knew it really was for his own good. "Tyki...tricked me into kissing him." Eeze looked up at you with wide eyes. "And... I just have really mixed feelings. We got into a fight. Paolo and I got closer. And now... I just don't know how I feel. Tyki's not...the same person I thought he was."

Your cousin sat up in the bed. He leaned close to you as you sat cross-legged as well. "I like Tyki better than Paolo." You snorted, rolling your eyes. Of _course_ he did. "Tyki was sulking before you got home."

This startled you. "Huh?"

"That's why he wasn't at work when you got home. He kept saying he wasn't feeling good." You could feel your cheeks heating up. "Maybe he was feeling guilty about the fight."

"Uhm...maybe." Oh, if only he knew the details. You resisted the urge to tell him again. It would be so much easier to reason with your cousin if he only knew. "But, you know, Paolo's kept me safe while I was away. He's real good to me."

Eeze looked despondently into his lap. You felt your heart skip a beat. Did he really like Tyki _that_ that he would want to pair you off with the man? Granted, before finding out about Tyki's dark half, you had started to feel similarly. Still...

"Ugh...Eeze, stay young. Never grow up. Being a grown up is confusing," you said, throwing yourself onto your pillow and covering your forehead with a hand. "And never let your younger cousin convinced you to invite a hobo into your home."

"I don't have a younger cousin, (y/n)," Eeze said, at last grinning.

You pointed at him, waving a finger around his nose. "No hobos."

"No hobos... What about vagabonds?"

You slapped your forehead with your hand. "Eeze... Really now."

"Paolo came over by the mines... he and Tyki were talking about playing Yahtzee for rights to you," Eeze said after a while of silence. You stared at him in horror. "That's why I came home...to tell you."

What the shit sort of life had you started to lead!?


	20. This Little Piggy

This Little Piggy

"I can't believe you two are playing Yahtzee for this! I'm pretty sure _I'm_ the one who gets to decide!" You were yelling rather loudly, no doubt upsetting a few of your neighbors.

Tyki and Paolo continued to calmly get the materials set up for their game. Tyki shrugged. "I was going to play Poker, but it seems you told Paolo here that I cheat. Yahtzee was the only thing left."

You groaned, burying your face in your hands. It seemed as though both of them had entirely missed the point you were trying to make. Rather than dealing them directly for a few seconds, you strolled out of the room and made your way into the bedroom. You grabbed up your piggy bank, indeed shaped like a cute little pig, and returned to the room. You set the ceramic bank on the table between the two men, who were just about to roll to see who went first. Narrowing your eyes, you told them to play for the money in the bank--else you would ignore them both for days, if not the rest of their lives.

Tyki and Paolo sighed, shrugging and proceeding to roll all the same. Perhaps _you_ were missing the point, you thought to yourself, and this went beyond just your affection. They were having a dick measuring contest. And, hell, if it was being settled by Yahtzee, who were you to complain? You rolled your eyes, leaving the house. Eeze followed along behind you while Clark and Momo walked over to Tyki and Paolo, a box of beer in their hands. Great. Just what you needed: for them all to get drunk and everything about Tyki to be revealed.

Although...to tell the truth, that _could_ potentially make your life easier. With that thought in mind, you relaxed. Holding Eeze's hand in your own, you set out towards the beach. Nothing like fresh air to help clear your thoughts regarding the two men.

"Eeze, what Tyki and Paolo are doing--"

"I won't act like that," your cousin said, amusement in his voice. You eyed him suspciously. Undoubtedly he was smiling. "That's not what girls like, right?"

"Are you...mocking me?" The way he looked at you told you he sort of was. You sighed, shaking your head. You could not help but smile. "You're so mean. Tyki really is a bad influence on you."

Eeze dug the toe of his shoe into the ground. "(Y/n)..."

"Hmm?" You looked at him worriedly. He seemed nervous, hesitant. "What's wrong?"

"I...I like Tyki...and not Paolo." Hoo boy. Nuh-uh. This was not good at all.

You ran a hand through your hair. "Look, Eeze... I... How do I put this? It's...complicated between Tyki and me right now."

Your cousin said nothing. He visibly sulked, shrugging and refusing to press the matter further. It bothered you that he felt so deeply for Tyki given the truth about the man--a Noah, for Pete's sake! And to think you would have remained unaware of this had you not continued to be a Finder. Tyki hadn't wanted you to work such a job, and... Well, you strongly believed it was more than the dangerous aspect of it that had led the man to feel so strongly. He hadn't wanted you to know of his other live--lives, now that you thought of it.

Eeze and you walked along the beach for a good hour and a half before your cousin said he was getting hungry. Knowing a snack would do him some good, you started towards home. He followed after you, dragging his feet in the sand. Why was he so damn good at making you feel guilty? You willed away those emotions as best you could. Eeze was not yet an adult; he didn't understand everything there was in life. Frankly, he didn't understand completely Tyki's nature. The danger the man presented. Even if he still could make your heart race.

And, you added a few minutes later when you opened the front door, your jaw drop. The four men were drunk. Undoubtedly so. Paolo was laughing, quite cheery despite being with his enemy. Momo and Clark were snorting. Tyki had grabbed up your piggy bank, placed it in a suggestive location, and rocked his hips back and forth, humping it. "C'mon, little piggy, I'll make you _squeal_ ," he purred out. 

Cue your face flushing deeply and your hands flying towards Eeze. You did not know whether to cover his eyes or ears at that point. Your cousin ducked underneath your hands, heading towards the bedroom. You could see how red his face had gotten. Poor boy. Tyki continued to pretend to fuck the pig, the other three men making mock squealing noices that had all four of them laughing. You rushed forward, grabbing at the piggy bank. Unfortunately for you, your hands had grabbed near its rear since Tyki's hands were on its front quarters. He had thrust forward once more, his hips moving against you. 

His hips stilled. The man grinned down at you as you snatched away your piggy bank. "Hey, baby," he said, his voice low and husky. You could smell the alcohol on his breath. The entire case of beer was empty, and there were a few empty bottles as well. Tyki leaned down, his breath tickling your ear. "I can make you squeal too."

Your jaw once more dropped. The man had manuevered you over to the couch, pushing you down while at the same time grabbed up your legs. Your back hit against Paolo's front. Your fellow Finder clumsily tried to adjust you, his hands groping at your chest. Tyki, meanwhile, started to slip between your legs. 

"Stop it, now!" you yelled, yanking yourself out of their grasps. You moved quickly to the opposite side of the table, on which the Yahtzee dice were still present. That sobered the men only partly. Momo and Clark chuckled, patting your back and telling you that it was okay, to relax. Tyki plopped down on the couch, sitting in a rather suggestive manner. Paolo ran a hand through his hair, telling you that it was okay. The game had been a flop; the rest of the days of vacation would be less awkward. "I don't... I don't care about that! What the hell... My piggy bank!"

"It was squealing so good," Tyki said with a groan, running a hand down his body. The last time you had seen him so drunk was when you had had your fake marriage. This was just fantastic.

"Look, Tyki, you need to get to bed."

"Mmm... Baby, we don't need a bed. We can do it right here." He patted next to himself on the couch.

Un-freakin-believable. Shaking your head, you ignored his words of protest as you stormed away. You entered your room and put away your piggy bank. You then turned to your cousin, who had delved into a book to avoid the awkwardness of the situation. You kissed the top of his head before moving back out of the room. There was no need to drag Eeze into this circus of a situation.

"How much did you all drink?" Clark said around five beers for him; he wasn't smashed. Momo said about the same as Clark. Tyki and Paolo both swore they only had three beers. Highly unlikely. They had gone through a twenty-four pack. There was no way the two, drunk as they were, had only drank three beers. For one thing, Tyki was no lightweight. That much you knew. "Okay, whatever. Just clean up this mess. _Now_."

You grabbed up a roll of trash bags and tossed it to them. Your next move was to move into the bathroom so that you could grab some cleaners. Unfortunately, Tyki had stumbled in behind you. While you began to grab up the necessary bottles, gloves, and sponges, the man emptied his bladder into the toilet. It was awkward, to say the least. You kept your eyes glued to the insides of the cupboard. Once Tyki was done urinating, he washed his hands.

At that point, you started to stand, ready to exit the bathroom with him. The drunk Noah, however, obviously had different plans. You gasped out when he dropped to his knees behind you, his hands grabbing at your chest. He kneaded your front, his tongue darting out and lapping at your neck.

"Tyki!" You shuddered when he shoved one hand down--into your pants. Your stomach fluttered. Your heart skipped a beat. Tyki used his middle finger to stroke your clit. "N-nn..." He had dragged up some of your juices, rubbing circles. The man added a second finger, rocking his hips into yours.

"C'mon, baby," he whispered huskily into your ear. Damn him! And damn your body for reacting to him! "I'm gonna make you scream my name." His hips were pumping hard and fast into yours, his fingers pinching your nipples and rubbing your clit in a way that had you rocking in time to his teasing. "This little piggy's gonna cry 'whee whee whee' all the way home." He chuckled drunkenly, nuzzling your neck. 

Biting your bottom lip, you wiggled out from his grip. You scooted backwards, your back hitting the tub. "St-stop." He groaned, running a hand through his hair. All the same, he complied, although not without some verbal urges for you to allow him to continue. "Look, Tyki, we... This is _not_ attractive."

He slipped his finger into his mouth, sucking your juices off of it. Your eyes widened. You released a light squeak. "I'll be pretty for you, (y/n)," he slurred out. "Just...just give me a chance."

"Tyki...you should really go lay down. Please." He groaned, crawling over to you and nuzzling you. "I don't like it when you've been drinking." Tyki sighed, pressing his lips messily against your neck. He trailed a line of kisses to your lips. You did not return the gesture, instead frowning. "This makes me want to leave," you whispered. "It doesn't make me want to be near you."

"You just...want to...fuck Paolo," he said in an accusatory tone.

Rolling your eyes, you pressed against his chest until his backed off. "I don't want to have sex with either of you, so--oh, fuck!" He had lifted up your shirt enough so that he could tackle just below your belly button with his mouth. His hands were once more wandering your body, up and down your thighs. "Tyki, I swear--"

"C'mon, it'll be our secret. My pole won't go into your pond, I promise. Just a little worm~" He wiggled his tongue against your belly as though to make a point. You closed your eyes, arguing with yourself. There were so many ways this was so, one-hundred percent wrong.

For one thing, your feelings for the man were still mixed. For another, he had killed how many people? Tyki grazed his teeth along your flesh, slowly but surely inching the top of your pants down. Your abdominal muscles fluttered. He had broken your ribs. He had broken his promise. The man was a Noah!

"Did I ever tell you I'm the Noah of Pleasure~?"

...and here he was gloating and making dirty jokes about it. Tyki chuckled to himself. Now that your pants were out of his way, he started on your panties. You placed your hands on his shoulders. He paused, sighing and telling you how much your pond needed his worm.

"When is my birthday?" He gave the correct date, albeit slurred together so badly that it took your mind a few moments to realize what he had said. "Why am I mad at you." This he also answered honestly and correctly. All the while his fingers drug the sides of your panties up and down. You buried your face in your hands. You could not believe you were about to... But, even if he was drunk off his ass, the man was giving you the most sexy, sultry look you had ever seen from him. He was making you so damn wet...

"If I tell you to stop, you better--"

"Shh, little piggy," he said. You rather hated his term of endearment. "I'll have you squealing so loud, you won't worry your tail about that." As he spoke, Tyki dragged your underwear down to your ankles. 

You blushed deeply as he grinned down at your exposed cunt. Tyki ran his tongue over his lips, hooking his arms under your legs and tugging you to him. You gasped, moaning as his mouth sealed over your swollen pussy. His worm of a tongue wiggled about your entire nether regions. It stroked your entrance, your clit, even swiped along your perineum. You worked your hips against his mouth, burying your hands in his hair. Tyki slipped his tongue into your depths, fucking you with it. In the meanwhile, he slipped three fingers against your clit, pressing down and rocking the nub back and forth.

You could feel yourself growing so hot, so wet. The pressure was building, it was absolutely delicious. "Nnn....oh God!" You were so inexpereinced, you had never--hell, a man had never seen you naked until this moment. And here was Tyki, _proving_ that he was _definitely_ the Noah of Pleasure.

His tongue slipped out of your depths, moving up to your clit. He nipped lightly at you, sucking, prodding, teasing. You moaned, finding yourself riding his tongue once more, along with a finger he slipped inside of you. Tears formed in your eyes and your vision blurred then doubled. Your vaginal walls spasmed around his tongue and finger as you came. There was a sort of slurping noise that caused your toes to curl as Tyki lapped up your juices.

The man then backed off, his hands dropping to the front of his pants. Your eyes shot open and you grabbed at his hands with yours. He chuckled, withdrawing his throbbing erection from the confines of his pants. You gulped. It was the first time you had ever seen... oh crap. You pressed your legs closely together, soon crossing them. Tyki, with half lidded eyes, meanwhile, wrapped his hand around his cock and started to pump himself.

He rocked his hips in time with his hands, thrusting upwards. Your lips were parted and your eyebrows were drawn up high. Your chest, already heaving from your orgasm, rose and fell with each ragged breath. Tyki licked his lips, moaning. "Mmm...c'mon, little piggy. Come get some sausage."

You scrambled, pulling back on your underwear and bottoms while Tyki masturbated. You could not tear your eyes away from his cock. It was thick, large... _that_ was supposed to go inside of you? Yeah, no. Not happening. As you stood, however, Tyki caught your arm with his free hand. He pulled you to him. Kissing the side of your face, he dragged one of your hands over to his erection. You shuddered at the feel of it, your hand frozen stiff as he wrapped your fingers around his cock.

"(Y/n)," he slurred out. "Please..." Your eyes had traveled towards his face in time to see his eyes flash golden. He closed his eyes then, groaning out in want as he thrust up into your hand. "I'm sorry. I mean it. But...fuck...I'm so hard. Baby, you get me so fucking hard."

Your body was responding to his panting, to his pleading. You awkwardly moved your hand against him. Tyki moaned out in approval, rocking back and forth. He was moving his hips just as he had against your piggy bank. It made you blush once more. The Noah reached for your other hand, dragging you up so that your chest was against his back, both of your hands encircling his cock. He fucked your hands, jerking his hips faster and harder while tightening your hold on him.

"Mmm...yeah, baby, you know how to touch me." Your heart was pounding in your chest, in your ears. You felt absolutely dizzy. Tyki threw his head back, ejaculating hard. Your jaw dropped at the sight. He continued to thrust into your hands, his seed spilling onto the floor of the bathroom. "(Y/n)~" he moaned out.

He allowed you to withdraw your hands, which were shaking. You awkwardly moved to your feet. You felt dizzy. You were confused. You did not know what to think of what you had just done with him. Even though you hadn't had a drop of alcohol in you, you felt like _you_ were the drunk one in the room.

You quickly turned your attention back to the cleaners, thrusting some into Tyki's hands when he had adjusted his pants. The man fumbled with them. You hardly cared. You burst out of the bathroom with the cleaning supplies and set about to cleaning the area, which was thankfully trash free. Paolo, Clark and Momo were just coming in from taking out the trash when you started scrubbing the table. You were beyond grateful that not one of them asked you where Tyki was--or why your face was so damn red.


	21. Prelude to Hell

Prelude to Hell

You had no time to process your sexual encounter with the Noah of Pleasure, the man you knew as Tyki Mikk. Clark, Momo, Tyki and Eeze left by train the following day to find work. They had been called for a job. You, meanwhile, had been contacted by the Black Order. They wanted you and Paolo to return sooner. Akuma activity was on the rise. They needed Finders to assist the Exorcists; they needed the two of you to help on a mission. Tyki had acted as though he did not remember the incident in the bathroom at all. Yet the look he gave you as he climbed onboard the train had said it all. He did remember, and perhaps he was just as confused as you were.

That could not be it, you scolded yourself mentally whilst onboard a different train from your cousin and the others. You closed your eyes, allowing your head to drop backwards as you rested it against the back of the seat. Paolo had not said much. In fact, he had admitted to blacking out, something that rarely if ever happened when he drank.

Life from that day on altered in a way you had never imagined, yet in a way had feared ever since discovering Tyki Mikk was a Noah. You still had not seen Headquarters, however you were still on your sixth mission after returning from your home. That was when news of Edo had broken out. Of Noah's Ark. An Exorcist by the name of Allen Walker was suspected of being the vessel for the Fourteenth. Tyki Mikk, a known Noah, had been seen by the Exorcists in Noah's Ark to transform into a beast that moved in for the kill without discrimination.

You had immediately called Eeze, found out that not a one of them--Clark, Momo, and your cousin--had heard from the vagabond since he had left months before. You had fallen to your knees. It felt as though the breath had been stolen from your lungs. 

That had been three weeks ago.

"Ah...are you alright... Mr. Julian?" the Exorcist known as Krory asked. You nodded weakly. You turned to Krory, who still watched you as though he was distinctly aware something was off. Not that you had known him for very long.

You bowed your head. "Sorry, Master Exorcist," you said in your male voice. "Things at home are not as expected." While that was the truth, you also worried that your trip to the Asian Branch with him would wind up in your gender being discovered. What _would_ the Order do to you? 

Your mind trailed, and once more you were wondering if Tyki was still alive. You wished you could speak to him, yet you feared contacting the Minister's family would be a mistake. Road Kamelot, Tyki's neice, was also a Noah. Was the rest of the family? Sheril, from your memory of him--here you shuddered--seemed a perfect fit. He was terrifying, perverse. A Noah to the T.

While Krory was not looking at you, you touched your fingers to your lips. You could not help but remember the feel of Tyki's mouth upon yours. Your heart felt as though it stuttered.

"Master Exorcist," you said, choking on your own words as you made up your mind.

"Hmm?" he hummed shyly, cautiously. The man, from the short time you had known him, was always fearful of insulting you or becoming a burden. He was much like Miranda in that sense; you had done a single mission with the woman in the past. 

"I am sorry, but..." At your side, you clenched your hands into fists. "I must do something before I go to Headquarters with you. And, to prevent you from being placed in danger, I have to request that you return without me."

He seemed taken aback, confused. The man, appearing scared out of his wits, turned to the Golem that was floating by the pair of you. You knew that it was recording every second of your communication with the Exorcist. That was just fine; it was the reason you could not divulge any details. If you did, the Order could potentially rush into a dangerous trap. You would not betray them like that. At the same time, you could not betray Tyki. You _had_ to know if he was safe. Unfortunately, that meant placing yourself in danger.

At last, the dark-haired man nodded. "Y-yes."

You felt sick to your stomach when at last you were all alone. You had phoned into the Order, told them that you had personal reasons for needing a delay. You had given the name of the country, the very city you would be in, but no more. They had obliged, knowing full well where your true loyalties lay. Your actions in the missions you were assigned had showed them as much.

Rather than take a train, you had settled for a carriage for the majority of the trip. The Order had distributed amongst its Finders and Exorcists an image of the Noah within Tyki, its true form. You pulled out the sheet of paper on which that image was printed. Squeezing your eyes closed, you shook your head. This monster could not be the Tyki you knew. 

And yet he had not returned to Eeze. It was just as he had promised you; if he believed his presence would endanger your cousin, he would leave.

"You bastard," you swore, tears running down your cheeks. "You Goddamn bastard!"

He had lied to you before. Sworn to protect you only to be the one to destroy the Innocence you were to protect. Broke bones in your body. Drew blood. And then seduced you. 

_I'm such a fucking idiot!_ you swore at yourself. _How could he? How could he!?_

You sobbed, your chest feeling heavy as though there were a large weight upon it. You covered your mouth with a hand. Your breaths were shaky. Shaking your head, you hoped that the carriage driver did not pull over to find out why you were upset. He, thankfully, seemed oblivious to your pain.

 _What am I supposed to do when I see Tyki?_ you asked in your head. _Am I--could I kill him?_ Once more did your eyes take in the picture of the Noah that was within him. _This monster... And I let it... I let him kiss me._

You slammed your head against the back of the seat. You had let him touch you in a way no man had ever. Crossing your legs, you wrapped your arms around yourself. It hurt to breathe.

_I should have kicked him out! I shouldn't have.... And now... Shit!_

You were beyond thankful that Paolo had already been sent up ahead to Headquarters. If he had been there, you would not have had the strength or will to deny his claims that Tyki had to die. That you should have done just that, kicked the Noah out of your home. It had truly been a moot point, the man leaving on a train. Then, according to Eeze, receiving a mysterious phone call.

_The Earl must know where I live then... My home... All those damn calls!_

You could not help but remember the one time you had been the one to pick up the line. That strange, creaky voice that had requested to speak to Tyki Mikk. You had hesitated, but obliged all the same. You had handed the phone to the vagabond, had told him good luck on his job! 

"Fuck!" You grit your teeth, hands fists at your side. 

The carriage was not far off from its arrival. You did not even know how you were going to get inside the Kamelot mansion. The way you looked; a cross-dresser, weary and ragged from your long trip. And when you did--what then? If Tyki was truly still that monster, you feared that you would be forced to kill him.

Road would be there, your mind screamed.

You had to get Tyki alone so that you could...kill...him...

Burying your face in your hands, you allowed yourself to sob once more.

"Tyki, you bastard...I...loved....you...."


	22. A Hell Unspoken Of

A Hell Unspoken Of

Rather than attempt a visit with the Kamelot family immediately, you instead found an inn to stay for the night. A semi-warm shower refreshed you, and you ate a meager meal for dinner. You were used to this, naturally. Save for when you were at training camp, you did not receive much food at all. It was always enough to keep you alive and nourished, however, and so you did not have a complaint on that front. Though it took you the better part of two and half hours to stop tossing and turning to fall asleep, when you did pass out, you slept for close to eleven hours.

You took another luke-warm shower, dressed in what casual clothes you did have on hand--a pair of slacks and a loose-fitting shirt--and then ate a small breakfast that consisted of a wedge of cheese, half a stale roll, and some water. The water was clean, for which you were thankful. There had been that one mission you had been on as a Finder wherein the water was the same color as mud. Needless to say, you had not had much to drink that time. Your mission-partner and you had had to have IV lines put into you in order to get rehydrated prior to returning to the camp.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, you narrowed your eyes. Should you go as Julian, whom the Minister and Road knew; or should you go as (Y/n), whom they would regard as nothing more than a cross-dressing lunatic? Rolling your eyes, you removed your shirt and began to wind bandages around your chest. It took you close to an hour to finish preparing yourself, and much of that was throwing up a mental shield. You wanted to see that Tyki was safe, yet at the same time were aware that it would benefit the Order to kill him. Would benefit _humanity_. You were human. Your cousin was human.

The inn you were staying at was several blocks away from the fancier part of town, as you kept mentally referring to it as. The Kamelot residence was close to the center of that place. 

"I'm out of my league," you said in your own voice, squeezing your eyes closed for a moment. Gathering your bearings, you took up your male voice. "I can do this."

With a single nod to yourself, you abandoned the bathroom and thus the mirror. You took out enough cash with you for a carriage ride into the part of town you needed to be. You were silent the entire trip. You watched out the window. Rags became extravagant dresses, expensive tuxedos. You glanced down at your own attire. Once you stepped out of the carriage, you would garner much attention. Swearing in your mind, you settled back in your seat.

After paying the driver upon exiting the carriage, you turned to the tall metal gate. You could barely see the Kamelot mansion beyond the luxurious garden. The water-fountain seemed to be a rather expensive piece, and you could not even make out the entire thing with the distance you were. You walked over to the booth that was just past the gate. There was a guard, who was considering you with the slightest bit of disgust. No doubt he did not approve of the way you were dressed.

 _To think Tyki lives like this,_ you thought bitterly. You started to smile at the guard then paused. There was no need to be false with this man. "Hello."

"Hi." Clipped, filled with an I'm-better-than-you-why-the-fuck-are-you-here tone.

His sense of superiority was already beginning to irk you. You cleared your throat so that you did not cough when next you spoke. "Would please inform Tyki Mikk that there is a Julian here to see him."

The man had the audacity to laugh, as though you were a complete idiot who was out of her--his--mind. You shook your head, repeated your statement, and stood there. The guard rested his elbow against the doorframe as he stood, giving you another once-over. He smirked at you. Judging by his expression, you gathered that he was not about to let you in, nor was he going to deliver your message. You huffed. You had come a long way to see Tyki, and you were not to be dissuaded so easily.

"Sir, if he finds out-- _when_ he finds out," you said, correcting yourself, "that you did not deliver this message, you will undoubtedly lose your job."

The guard again chuckled to himself, causing you to glare at him. "Well, _Julian_ ," he said derisively, "do you know how many no-lifes like you I deal with a day who tell me the same thing? I--"

"Is he home or is he dressed like a bum again?" you snapped. The guard's eyes widened, and he appeared taken aback. Apparently the fact that Tyki wandered off as a vagabond was supposed to be a family secret known only by the staff and Kamelots. You cocked your head to the side. "Yeah, so...tell him Julian is--"

"This makes so much sense," the man said, musing aloud. He rubbed his chin, looking you up and down. It took you half a second to realize the guard suspected you of being Tyki's gay lover. 

You rolled your eyes at that, sighing heavily. "No. No, we are not ga--"

You were cut off by a hand grabbing your hair from behind, yanking your head back, and a mouth hungrily sealing over yours. Your eyes widened as the stranger kissed you. You clenched your hand into a fist, socking him in the jaw. He grunted, as though your blow hardly stung, and backed off. He ran a hand through his long hair. It was the thick lenses, now that you could see them for what they were, that had you freezing in place.

"Hey, Jules~" That lilt. The absolute joy in his voice, the predatory way in which he positioned his body, as though ready to spring on you. You took a step backwards, eyeing every portion of him. He seemed the same, yet different. More dangerous perhaps. You could not help but remember the photograph of the Noah within him.

Looking over your shoulder, you found the guard gawking at the pair of you. His face was read, and his expression alternated between disgust and shock. You turned back to the Noah when he moved closer to you. Before you could retreat further, Tyki moved in a swift motion, closing the distance between the two of you. He wrapped an arm around you, drawing you tightly against his side. He turned to the guard.

"Ah, could you open?" The guard fumbled out an apology, opening the gate and permitting the Minister's brother entrance. He again apologized when Tyki dragged you forward. "My lover and I need some time together," the Noah said playfully. You grit your teeth together, confused by all the emotions surging forth.

"Lover?" You spat out the word when the two of you were out of earshot of the guard. The fountain was such as luxurious as you had believed it would be. You glowered at it, at your reflection in the water, as Tyki continued to drag you along with him to the Kamelot mansion. Though you tried, you could not manage to yank yourself out of his grip. 

Tyki did not offer you a response. As he lead you through the mansion, through the atrium and towards the first flight of stairs, many of the household servants openly stared. The Kamelot family--Minister Kamelot, Road, and Tricia--paused in the hallway when you started to cross their path. Tyki's brother caught his arm, hooking them and dragging the vagabond back towards him. Tyki did not relinquish his hold even then, taking you with him.

"T-Tyki, what is _this_?" Sheril pointed to you as though you were a piece of trash. In his eyes, you were certain this was the case.

Tyki frowned, turning around and moving you so that you were directly in front of him. His hands were on either of your shoulders. Tight. Holding you steady. "You've met Julian before."

Road skipped over to you at that point, "Julian~" You backed further against Tyki. He rubbed your shoulders in a soothing manner. Road looked up at her uncle. "If you're not feeling well, Julian should leave, Tyki. You'd feel horrible."

You shuddered at her words. Tricia commented to Tyki, stating that illnesses were contagious. You knew better, however. Road was speaking of the Noah within Tyki, the beast that would murder you if given the chance. Tyki muttered out something you did not understand, then began once more making his way towards--well, who knew where--with you in tow. Minister Kamelot shouted after Tyki, telling him to change back into appropriate clothing.

Only once the two of you were alone again did you deign to speak. "You really are that monster then." Tyki halted, his grip on you tightening. You whipped your head around, looking at him. His teeth were grit. You were quite thankful that you did not have a clear view of his eyes, hidden behind those thick lenses. You yanked yourself away from his grasp.

Tyki did not allow you to move far. He again closed the distance between the two of you as you flung yourself towards the other side of the hallway. You closed your eyes, hearing the way his hand smacked against the hard surface beside your head. His other hand blocked you on the opposite side.

"You're already using the Order's terminology, hmm?"

You opened your eyes, full-on glaring at him. You clenched your hands into fists at your sides, resisting the urge to slap him. "It's what you are, Tyki. You're--"

"If you had listened to me, you wouldn't have known," Tyki said. "You don't listen though."

"If I had listened to you?" You repeated his words with a snort. Then, your entire frame shaking as you fought back the urge once more to hit him, you shouted, "If I had listened to you, Tyki, then what? You'd be gone. Just like with Eeze, I wouldn't know a thing. You'd just have disappeared one day. Never come back! Is that it? That's what you wanted? To use my family. Use Momo and Clark. To _destroy_ our spirits, maybe even kill us once you no longer need us!"

You could hear the wall cracking beside your head. In your peripheral, you could see the tips of his fingers breaking through the hard surface as though it were nothing more than cotton. His snarl was what made you at last look away. He did not normally let things affect him so much. 

"Ggg..." You looked up again when he released that noise, as though he was strangled by the words he was not saying. His entire frame was starting to shake. Your legs gave out on you, and you fell onto your ass. Tyki squatted down in front of you, dragging his fingers and leaving claw-like marks in the wall the entire way.

You shook your head, tears forming in your eyes and beginning to leak down your cheeks. "You're not even denying it. It's true, right? On some level, you know it's true. I'm just some... _stupid_ little _human_. A game, right?" You reached up, snatching the glasses off of his face and tossing them off to the side. They skittered across the ground. As you had suspected, his eyes were distorted in an inhuman manner. "You had those carnivorous butterflies of yours... You had them bite a hole into that Allen-kid's heart. You...are... You're a Goddamn monster!"

"Oh~?" Playful in the same way he had been before he had discovered your identity on the battlefield. A cat playing with its prey. His grin warped into something no human could accomplish. You gasped, the air rushing out of you and then refusing to fill your lungs. "Am I, (y/n)~? Am I a monster?"

Your mind flashed back to the way he had drunkenly 'married' you. To the ring he had given you. To the intimate experience you had had with him the last time you had been home. Your tears continued to flow, falling in a higher volume than before. Your chest felt heavy, and you greedily dragged in air before releasing a sob.

"T-Ty...ki...I... Why? G-God, I'm such...f-fucking...id...iot...for....lo...ving...y-you."

His eyes widened, and his entire body seemed to freeze, save for his arms, which continued to tremble.

"I... I w-wish you w-would j-ju-just k-kill m-me....a-and get it o-over with." You buried your face into your hands. "It was just a game, right?" you repeated again, your voice cracking. "Well... You won, okay? So just kill--"

"Tyki!" It was a male voice, one you had never before heard. Stern, as though scolding a child; the child being Tyki. You jumped at its sound, whipping your head in the direction it had come from. You could not stop the tears, and so your first look at the brown-haired man was blurred. Wiping them away, you were able to see his almond-shaped eyes easily. He was staring at the Noah of Pleasure in a way that allowed you to know this man also held a connection with the Noah family in some way, shape, or form. "Joyd."

Tyki's head turned in the direction of the speaker. He rested his cheek against his outstretched arm. "Duke." It was stated in such a polite manner. You wondered who this 'Duke' was, and whether that was his name or his title.

The brunette, who was a few yards away, walked closer to the pair of you. His gaze was glued on the Noah that was crouched in front of you. Tyki smiled politely at the man, though his grin was still abnormal in a way. You raked your gaze over the strange man, deciding by his attire that Duke was his title. The Duke, when he was roughly a foot away from Tyki, offered out his hand. The Noah of Pleasure reached for it, drawing the limb closer as a child would to a parent. Your heart stuttered. You knew without a doubt that the Duke could be none other than the Millennium Earl.

The man wrapped his fingers gently around Tyki's, tugging ever so slightly so that the younger Noah stood. The Duke pulled Tyki closer to himself, away from you. "Joyd, you should not be so impolite to guests." He was referring to you, you knew. 

Joyd--Tyki, you reminded yourself--looked over his shoulder at you. He regarded you with the same indifference he had during the majority of your conversation. It terrified you to know that his Noah was the dominant part. His lips twitched, and his grin widened. "Come to dinner, Ju-li-an~" He pronounced each syllable of your false name carefully. You shook your head, dropping your gaze down to your lap. "Ah, Ju--"

"Joyd." Once more stern. The younger Noah turned obediently to the family patriarch. "You should change your clothes. Those are hardly appropriate for the restaurant at which we will be dining."

Tyki muttered something under his breath, yet complied all the same. Alone with the stranger in the hallway, with the Millennium Earl, you drew your knees up to your chest. You buried your face in your legs, wrapping your arms around yourself and crying. Tyki was not the man you remembered. A large part of you wished you had stayed away. In order to protect your cousin--the best way to do that would be to kill Tyki.

The Duke did not move from his position. He simply stared at you coldly, with neither hatred nor love. He spoke to you as though you were a bug, nothing worth wasting his breath over. "It would be best for Tyki if you left." You threw yourself up into a standing position, holding onto the wall with one hand while the other was clenched into a fist. You opened your mouth to speak but were immediately cut off. "He would not hesitate to kill you if I gave the order. A peon for the Black Order." His lips split into a smile, as though the Black Order brought him nothing but amusement. An anthill for all the bugs. He chuckled, as though at a joke untold. "A peon for the Order, or a mere peasant woman." His eyes met yours full on. You sucked in air through your teeth. This man knew exactly who you were.

"You were warned, (Y/n), yet still you chose to remain his enemy," the man continued. He at last took a step closer. "You ruined his game, you know." You trembled at his words. "You said it yourself. To paraphrase: he loves, uses, and destroys."

"Then have him kill me," you said, as though making a simple statement. It caught him off-guard. He pressed his lips into a thin line, tilted his head to the side, and stared at you. You raised both your eyebrows expressively as you spoke. "End the game. Have him end his _stupid_ game so that he focus fully on your _stupid_ family."

"Are you so ready to die?"

"If you don't have him kill me, I'll kill him."

He laughed, his shoulders shaking. The man looked over his shoulder. Tyki was returning, now in clothing similar to when you had interrogated him about the Noah family. What a farce. A gimmick to get a kiss from you. You swallowed down the bile that had risen in your throat. The Duke reached into his pocket, withdrawing a letter opener that looked akin to a knife. You knit your brow, unsure what he intended to do with it. He pressed it into your hand, smiling at you as he spoke.

"Let's get this over before dinner, shall we?" He looked at Tyki, who was standing at his side. "I am sure you heard her, Joyd." Tyki nodded, leaning and whispering something in the man's ear. "Hmm? Yes."

With a grin, the man your cousin had brought home one day walked to you. He stood in front of you. His eyes were on the blade in your hand, which you had raised. You praised the tip against his chest, directly over his heart. It hardly bit into the material of his overcoat. Tyki pressed closer to you. You flinched, withdrawing the envelope opener closer to yourself. Then, catching what you were doing, you thrust it back forward. It went into him--as though he were a ghost. You cursed his ability aloud.

The Noah of Pleasure used his ability to reach past your shirt, into your chest. He pressed his lips against yours, causing your eyes to widen. You then screamed into his mouth, pain filling your body. His mouth left yours, and Tyki threw you across the hallway. Your back hit against the opposite wall. The breath was knocked out of you. You slumped down on the ground. Your eyes were on the sharp object, which had fallen to the floor where you had previously been. Tyki turned around. He seemed to ignore you, his attention on the Duke, as though awaiting an Order.

You felt as though you had died inside. Your stomach fell. Your heart--if only he had pulled it out of your chest so you did not have to feel the pain. Though you had known that the Millennium Earl spoke the truth in regards to Tyki's loyalty, you had held out hope.


	23. Illogical Logic

Illogical Logic

The Duke stepped close to Tyki, placing a hand onto the younger male's shoulder. He patted him, as though a father telling his son a job well done. You released one of the most pitiful sounds you had ever heard escape from yourself. A sobbed out 'why' that practically strangled you. Your entire body ached from the way he had thrown you, from whatever internal organ he had started to touch, to squeeze. Your mind was reeling from the betrayal.

"You lied again!" you screamed at him. Tyki at last transferred his attention onto you. "On the... By the beach. You promised again! You promised that you would never...hurt me like this again." He blinked a single time at you. "You said you loved me. What _bullshit_!

"I even tried to defend you against Paolo, when he said it was crap. I was so _stupid_ to believe you. I _hate_ you, you _fucking_ monster!" You slammed your fists weakly against the wall behind you as you spoke, over and over again. You could feel the moment the skin broke, the very second blood was beginning to stain the wall. You weakly pushed yourself up into a standing position, pushed off the wall, and lunged at the Noah of Pleasure.

Tyki grinned at you, easily falling into a position of a predatory creature. He caught you, flipped you onto your back, and pinned your wrists above your head. You flailed underneath him, ignoring your body's protests, and screamed again. You could see in your peripheral the Duke rub his facial stubble as he considered the position Tyki had you in. He did and said nothing. Tyki, meanwhile, changed right before your eyes. Those golden eyes; that gray-toned flesh. You grit your teeth tightly together, once more trying to buck him off. After failing, you literally spat in Tyki's face. The Noah above you merely grinned in response.

Your stamina ran out, and Tyki had not even broken a sweat. You panted underneath him, blinking and trying to keep from passing out. Knowing that you were too tired to protest, he drew your hands, and thus his, to your chest. He placed them in the center, as though in prayer. His knees were on either side of your hips as he knelt above you. 

"You're quite the fighter~" It was the voice of the man you loved, but he was no more than a monstrous creature. You rested your cheek on the floor, avoiding his gaze. "Duke, she's so mad..."

"She came ready to kill you, Tyki," the Noah patriarch said. You could then feel his eyes on you. "What you do not understand, (y/n), is that I would _not_ order Tyki to kill you. _I_ care for him too much to hurt him as such." Above you, Tyki heaved a sigh. He pressed his lips to your cheek. You frowned, attempting to yank your hand out of his so that you could wipe where he had touched you. "Yet still, you should learn your place."

"...I... If you aren't... Just let me go home." Your voice was soft, hardly above a whisper. Tyki transferred both of your wrists into one of his hands. He lifted the other, brushing your tears aside with his knuckles. "Stop. Just...s-s-stop."

"Duke, she's _mad_." Strained, pleading. Tyki rested his forehead against the side of your head. He felt so hot, as though he had a forming fever. "(Y/n). Don't be mad. I didn't..."

"I never want to see your face again." 

Rather than oblige, Tyki took your face into his hands, cupping it and turning your head so that you were facing him. You, however, kept your eyes in the other direction. His face hovered mere inches above yours. You could feel his breath. It reminded you of when the two of you were at the dock. Back when he had made his second promise, the one to never hurt you like that again. It was yet another promise he had broken.

"Tyki," the head of the Noah family cut in. The man above you pushed away, standing and giving you one final look. "Please ensure that your brother is aware that there will be another guest at our table tonight."

The man you had believed to have fallen in love with headed away down the hallway. You rolled onto your side, curling into a ball and allowing yourself to cry. Only once you could no longer hear Tyki's footsteps did you hear the Duke move closer to you. He squatted down at your feet. You looked down at him past your tears. He tilted his head to the side. The next second, his hands shot out and seized you by the upper arms. You whimpered as he squeezed tightly, yanking you up into a sitting position then up onto your knees.

"Do you truly believe yourself to be so innocent in this case?" You swatted at him, soon settling to slam your fists against his chest. He hardly grunted. Most your energy had already been expended. "Verbally attacking him... You _know_ he cares for you. He said it, did he not?" You slapped him across the face. The Noah patriarch did not even react. He continued on as though nothing had happened. "The fact that you are alive proves that he has feelings for you."

You glared at him straight on. "You fuckers don't have feelings." The man sighed, exasperated. "That's bullshit. If he cared, he wouldn't have--"

"The reason you're ready to kill him is not for the Order, otherwise they would be here and not you." Your body felt as though a sudden frost had entered the atmosphere. You shuddered, shocked by the truth. "For your family. That...cousin, was it? Yes. Do you believe Tyki should not act similarly? Be ready to kill the one he cares for for his family, just as you were prepared to do.

"I had him attack you out of mercy--for his sake." You looked at the man with confusion. What the hell was he talking about? "If I had let things run their course, no doubt you would have attempted to kill Tyki later. Or else continued with your verbal assault in Sheril's presence. What do you think would have happened then? Tyki says you met Sheril.

"Tyki knows what I was doing, else he would have objected. He asked as much; that's what he whispered. You're shaking your head, (y/n), but that is how this is. Tyki belongs to the Noah family. To me--to all of us save for Tyki, you are nothing more than a worthless human."

With all your previous blows being ineffective, you decided to take the cheap shot. You brought your knee up into his crotch, causing the man to hiss out in pain. His hands shot away from you, moving instead to grab himself. You pushed away from him, though not quick enough. He snatched up your ankle, yanking you down to the ground. Your palms smacked against the floor noisily.

"Road was quite smitten with you when she believed you were male," the man said. You wrinkled your nose in disgust at the memory. "I'm beginning to see why." His comment had you freezing. You looked over your shoulder at him to find him considering you. For once you did not feel as though he were comparing you to some bug. "I can also see why the Order accepted you as a Finder. Ah, but they still do not know your true identity. Your gender. Poor thing. They don't take kindly to lies.

"Now, are you ready to have a sensible talk with Tyki? He has been exhausted ever since the Innocence... It's taken quite a toll on his body. His scars--" He inhaled with a hiss at your face, at your shocked expression. "He didn't mention the... Oh, you jumped the gun, you truly did~"

"You like hearing yourself talk, don't you?" Your hand was on his, attempting to pry his fingers away from your ankle but to no avail. With the hand that was not keeping you near him, the man cupped the side of his face. "I meant what I said. I don't want to see him again."

"You shouldn't lie to yourself like that~" He grabbed your face between both of his hands. Resting his forehead against yours, he stared into your eyes. "You would not have been physically drained so easily had the emotional aspect not taken its toll. You care for him. I heard you tell him, (y/n), that you love him."

"Loved. I can't... Not...not anymore. I can't."

"Because he attacked you? Do you want to know what I believe Sheril would have done if he had been in Tyki's place? Had he been the one to retaliate against your distaste of Tyki's Noah, of Joyd, he would have--"

"Duke." Pleading, tired. Both you and the Duke turned to Tyki. His shoulders were slumped. There was a cigarette dangling out of his mouth, yet he hardly took a single drag. "Please don't tell her."

"Alright, Tyki-pon."

The head of the Noah family released you, rising and straightening out his clothing. Tyki stared down at you, and despite what you had said, you could not help but look at him as well. His skin was once more a normal shade. To you, he looked as drained as you felt. Regretful as well. Hurt. He could not hold your gaze for long. He was the first to look away, flinching.

"(Y/n)... Do you really think it's a game?" Tyki met your gaze once more. "With you." A pause. His hands were trembling at his sides until he curled them into fists. "You..." 

When he took a step towards you, you held up your hand. "Don't. Just...don't."

"(Y/n)!"

"No!" The word tore itself from your throat, which was beginning to hurt from all your crying and yelling. "You would... In a heartbeat, that Noah within you would kill me. Like I'm _nothing_! I--"

"It would never be like you're nothing!" he shouted at you, his voice drowning out yours. "Why do you think I kept asking you to leave the Order!? You're so fucking stubborn. You _refuse_ to let me keep you safe!"

"Oh! Oh! So this is all my fault?" You gestured towards him, whipping your hand in his direction. "Bullshit. You _never_ keep your promises. You--"

"Fine! You want to know? You won't listen to anything else. Sheril has the ability to control anyone's body. He can make their limbs bend any which way without touching them." That had you closing your mouth. "I don't want you hurt like that."

"But the way you hurt me is okay, is that it?"

"I didn't... I just reacted! I never meant... And you calling me..." You could tell his mind was racing. Had he truly not processed what had gone on? The man--both men, actually--seemed convinced that they were protecting you from Sheril by having Tyki hurt you physically. Hurt you emotionally. "I'm sorry."

"You'd do it again in a heartbeat, don't lie!"

"I wasn't... You were going to stab me!"

"I--! I... I can't do this."

"Don't say that. Don't. Say. That." You started to crab-walk backwards as he marched up to you. The Noah was much faster than you, however, and was on top of you in no time flat. He wrestled you to the ground once more, earning a sigh from the head of the Noah family. " _You_ said you were going to kill me. I gave you the enemy to fight, to--"

"Stop... Just stop, please. Tyki, I can't do this. I can't. I--" You were silenced by his mouth atop yours. You cried into the kiss, turning your head and breaking it. "It doesn't matter. Even if I love you, I _won't_ leave Eeze for you. That's what this would mean. I will not do that to him. Not for... God, Tyki, you _like_ killing people. You don't even deny it that everyone is just some game to you, and--"

"Eeze is special, (y/n). Fuck, _you're_ special."

"Bullshit. Bullshit."

"Ggg....d...damn it!" You screamed then groaned as the man slammed his forehead into yours. "Sorry..." He was wincing as well. "Sorry, I--"

"You are so _damn_ stupid, Tyki." You rubbed your forehead where his head had collided with yours. "Do you even _try_ to think?"

"You make it so damn hard."

"I make thinking hard? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Tyki snorted. "Everything I say is wrong anyway. What's the point of thinking?"

"It's your _actions_ , Tyki. Just... Just get off me! I am so emotionally drained, I don't even know what to do. All you ever do is lie to me, and I won't stand for it anymore. I--"

"I left Eeze because I promised you! I wouldn't have hurt you just now if it hadn't been... Sheril would have _killed_ you before I could stop him if he saw what you did. Or Road. I--"

"Tyki, get off of her." The younger Noah obliged, and the older man lifted you up onto your feet. He kept a hand on you, keeping you steady. "Let me ask you this, (y/n). If Tyki was not a Noah... If everything else in your life was the same, would that be fine?"

"What? Of course!"

"Despite the fact that Road would still be targeting you. That an akuma could kill you at any point. To the Order, and to some Exorcists, Finders are expendable. You would be easily replaced. You would undoubtedly die, and your cousin would be hearing the news, possibly even now." It had stunned you into silence, to say the least. "I won't deny that it is cruel the way Tyki must treat you. I, personally, do not care what happens to you, yet for Tyki's sake... Watching him suffer because you do _not_ understand how this world works... I hold no fondness for you for that alone."

"It's not... It has nothing to do with 'this world'. It's you Noah. It's the akuma that _you_ create. If--"

"Alas, 'if'. If, if, if--you stupid child, what a statement." You swallowed hard at his chastisement. "If you had never become a Finder, this would not have happened. You blame Tyki for something he has absolutely no control over. You came here to kill him. I admire your reasoning for wishing to do so. I hold family with such high regard as well." You closed your eyes in defeat. You had always heard that the Earl had a way with words that could convince almost anyone of anything, and yet to listen to him speak right then... You found the rumors to be true.

The head of the Noah family bent down, scooped you up into his arms, and began walking down the hallway. Tyki followed after the pair of you without saying a word. You watched him for a beat then turned away. Staying awake was expending all the energy you had left. So much as trying to think about what was going through Tyki's head was enough to give you a headache. Then there was the Earl, in whose arms you were secured. You could not understand him in the least. Telling you that he did not care what happened to you; in the next breath, saying that he understood Tyki's--as well as Road's former--attraction to you. Five seconds later, mood-swinging back to his distaste.

~~~

You did not remember passing out in the Duke's arms, yet you must have. You awoke on a bed, tucked in. It had been years since last someone had thought to do so for you. Back when your parents were still alive, before you were taking care of Eeze. You sat up in the bed. The sheets and blankets fell away, tumbling into your lap. You groggily looked around the room, not exactly surprised to find both Tyki and the Duke present. The latter was standing beside the former, who was hunched over in a chair and trembling. 

The fact that he was dripping sweat, shirtless, and breathing heavily did not escape you. You could not see his face. Your eyes were glued on the portion of his scars that you could see. You turned away, a horrified gasp escaping you.

The Noah patriarch left Tyki's side and came to yours. He finished drawing aside the blankets. You bit down on your bottom lip to keep from screaming. You did not know what to think. You _hated_ seeing Tyki in pain as he was, yet at the same time you could not help but remember the picture of the monster that was inside him. All the tales of the Exorcists and Finders he had murdered. The way he had nearly killed you as well, before realizing who you were.

"Come," the man said, barking out the word as an order. "It's time to ready you for dinner." He grabbed you up by your forearms, tugging you out the door. One his way out, he turned back to Tyki. "Take your time. Shower when you feel ready."

"It _hurts_. Why does it hurt so much?"

The man's grip on you faltered. You looked up into his face, seeing the concern he held for Tyki. It was this that influenced you to not struggle. His mouth opened, yet he uttered out no response to Tyki's inquiry. The Duke led you away from the room, closing the door behind the pair of you, and down the hallway. You were not certain if it was the same one you had been in before, or a different on. Your hands stung from where the skin had separated during your assault on the wall, however the wounds looked to have been cleaned.

He pulled you into another room. A walk-in closet, you realized half a second later. Glamorous dresses. Gloves. Shoes. Each item was most likely more than you, Clark, Momo, and Eeze made in a year. You tried to back out of the place, not wanting to touch something and ruin it. The Duke, however, tugged you forward once more. He chuckled in good humor, taking up one of your hands in his and patting it gently.

"We must ready you for dinner. Tyki requested that I don't allow Road to do so." He released your hand after sliding a key into the door and locking the room. You stared at the wooden surface for several seconds whilst the man began to look through the gowns. "Just last week I was turning down another proposal," he muttered to himself. You turned to him. He selected out a dress, held it up in front of you, and instructed you to put it on. Your eyes bulged. "I will turn around, (y/n). Do not think me--here, I'm turning around."

You shifted from foot to foot, the blush on your face having deepened when he, too, turned red. It was awkward, knowing the Millennium Earl could become so flustered over a woman's body. You quickly shimmied out of your clothes, knowing full well that he would not allow you to leave the room until you were dressed. You pulled up the gown, fumbling with the zipper and hoping that you would not rip it.

"I... Uhm...c-could you help with the zipper?" You had your back to him. The man did not respond to you verbally. You could feel his hands on you for the brief moment it took him to zip up the dress. 

He turned you around, his hands on your shoulders. The man appraised his choice of dress on you. He nodded in approval. "Ah, now I see~" You wrapped your arms around yourself, feeling almost naked under his gaze. "Shoes." It did not take him long to select a pair that would compliment the gown as well as fit your feet. You slipped your foot inside the first, then the second. The heels were not too extreme, though they still added more height.

Your hair, which had grown a few inches since Tyki had cut it for you, he pulled back. The man arranged your hair in a way that, when you looked in the mirror upon his instruction, it had your eyes widening. You no longer looked like a peasant, as the Duke had called you. You felt as though you were playing dress-up. A child. That thought was cut off when you noticed the portion of your anatomy that the Duke was watching in the mirror. You tried to lift the front of the dress up further, only to have the blushing man grab your hands and tell you that you would rip it.

"I don't want to be dressed in this. I--"

"You shall be attending dinner, and this is the only appropriate outfit that will fit you correctly." He moved to one of the corners of the closet. He rummaged through, selecting out an expensive jewelry set. He secured the bracelet and necklace then looked at your ears. The man slipped the earrings through the holes then took you in once more. "Tyki does have quite the knack for discovering hidden beauty." His fingers were under your chin, pressing up so that you looked into his face. "My dear, your expression whenever I say his name~" He placed his hand to his heart.

You trembled. The Duke retrieved a pair of gloves, the final items for your attire. He slipped them onto your hands then once more caressed your cheek. You watched as he dragged out some make-up. Did not do anything but comply with his instructions as he applied some onto your face. Only once he was finished did the man at last unlock the door and allow you to exit. He hooked your arm into his, patted your hand, and informed you that everyone would be leaving for dinner shortly.

"Tyki fights his Noah."

"So he's told me," you said sharply. "I don't... Unfortunately, I cannot fall out of love easily, but that doesn't mean...I can't--T-Tyki." He was dressed in a different suit. His hair pulled back once more into a loose ponytail. The stunned expression, the way he was gawking at you. You turned away. Memories of your life with him kept threatening to surge forward.

"(Y/n)." His voice was breathless. Your mind flashed between when you had first met him, the monster within him, and seeing him hunched over in that chair. The Duke passed you to Tyki. You tensed as your arm was slipped into his as the Noah patriarch informed you that Tyki would be your escort for the night. "I am... I'm sorry."

"I know you are, Tyki," you said, shaking your head. You could feel the earrings shift with your every movement. "I just... Maybe I should have listened to you. Never become a Finder. You would have just left on this mission of yours, never returned. I would be getting over it. It'd be nothing."

"You don't mean that."

You bit back the tears, somehow successful. "No, but I really wish I did, Tyki." You did not object when he turned you, when he cupped your face, nor when his mouth descended upon yours. He was gentle, just like the time at the beach. He was once more the man that you knew, the Noah within him seemingly quiet. "Why... Why can't you just... I _hate_ that monster inside you, and--what's do damn funny, Tyki?"

"Nothing~"

"Don't patronize me," you hissed, swatting at his hands. He covered his mouth, still laughing. He turned away from you, and you huffed. "You are... That... Stop!"

"I can't help it~ Your sentiments aren't mutual~"

"That's disgusting. That monster--"

"It's all _me_ , (y/n)~"

"This really is just a game to you."

"Ah, (y/n), don't be such a--"

"If you finish that sentence, Tyki, I swear, I'll--" You shuddered, looking into his eyes and finding that they had turned that golden color. He was walking you towards the wall, pinning you once more. The Noah patriarch, however, snatched Tyki away from you with a command to 'Stop, Joyd'. "This... Can you please explain this to me."

"The third disciple of Noah, Joyd." That was all the Millennium Earl in human form said in explanation. You frowned. In response, he elaborated. "Since Tyki still fights his Noah, you can think of them as two personalities." He hummed, his eyes running along you. "That Joyd also wishes to be intimate with you... I cannot help but insist you stay with us for a while. Don't look at me like that; your cousin is safe, and the two of you would not be together regardless. He is working."

His hand was still on Tyki's chest, keeping the man from closing the distance between the two of you. By then, Tyki was frowning at the head of the Noah family. He was not pleased with being kept away from you. The Noah patirarch, however, remained indifferent to Tyki's disapproval. 

"I apologize for my part in Tyki breaking his promise to you, however you must understand my intentions were... hmm... Mostly honorable." His honesty did not exactly impress you. "But, let us temporarily put that off to the side. Tricia is not privvy to the Noah family, and we intend to keep it that way." The look he gave you had you fearing for your life. He at last dropped his hand from Tyki's chest, and the younger male placed your arm in his. He leaned down, whispering in your ear that the Duke truly did feel guilty over having him attack you; it seemed the Noah patriarch had been unaware of Tyki's promise, otherwise he would have instead pinned you down himself. 

"Somehow, Tyki, that does not make me feel any better."

"Yeah... The Duke said to let you be mad. It's important that you process all your emotions so that we can move on from here." Huffing, you shook your head. You could not help but wonder if it was being a noble that made their logic so skewed, or if it was the Noah within them.


	24. Dinner Choices

Dinner Choices

You did not know what surprised you more: that the Millennium Earl had a fondness for knitting, or that he was able to do so very well. Sitting in the carriage beside Tyki and across from the Noah patriarch, you observed him continuing work on his current project. The man to your left did not act at all impressed by the work. Instead Tyki was far too busy staring at either you or else the passing scenery. You mostly ignored him, the emotions that would swirl in your head whenever you paid him heed causing you to grow dizzy. The Duke did not peek up at you. He was very focused in his work.

You shifted your attention to the window, feeling your stomach do a flip. When first you had been told that you would be having dinner with the family, you had believed it would be a private affair. Knowing now, however, that you would be dining in public with aristocrats caused your nerves to do horrible things to your stomach. You felt as though you were going to be ill. Your hand gripped at the portion of your dress that was in your lap. "Don't. You'll ruin it," the man across from you said without so much as looking up. You spared the Duke a quick glance before allowing your eyes to drop to the wrinkled material. You smoothed it out as best you could.

"Politically you'll look like a fool if you bring me. Socially. Uhm... I should wait in the carriage," you told the man as the carriage drew closer to its destination.

Duke Millennium at last looked up from his work to consider you. He pressed his lips into a thin line. Tyki made a move to place a hand overtop the two of yours that were in your lap. You, however, readjusted yourself so that your limbs were no longer in such a position. The Noah of Pleasure sighed.

"I'm going to throw up," you said a few moments later. You placed both hands atop your lower belly.

The elder of the two males within the carriage with you sighed and uttered out his belief that you would be just fine. His knitting needles continued to move all the while. They paused, however, when suddenly you were muffling a rather suspicious-sounding burp. Tyki even drew back from you. Your cheeks were tinged pink. Duke Millennium called for the driver to pull the carriage off to the side of the road. When this had been accomplished, Tyki led you into the nearby building and straight into the bathroom. The patrons of the place shot the pair of you odd looks when he entered in after you. 

You had little to no time to pay this fact any attention, as you were on your knees in front of the toilet in no time flat. True to your word, you vomited into the porcelain. Tyki rubbed your back soothingly, ensuring that no portion of your hair fell into the way.

"This is all too much," you groaned out, your throat raw and hurting from the vomit. You drew back from the toilet, only half-aware that you were leaning your body against his. Tyki allowed you to lay your head against his chest. Sweat was gathered on your brow. "I can't do this. With you. It's--"

You did not know how he could stand the taste of your mouth as he cut off your words with his tongue. You turned your head, breaking off contact. It occured to you a moment later that he could use his ability to choose to not taste the vomit on your tongue. Tyki pressed his lips to your forehead instead. He gave your flesh a few kisses before keeping his mouth there against you. You closed your eyes, momentarily pretending that everything was normal again. That you and Tyki were at your home, that he had never broken any promises to you. That you weren't about to be subjected to the judgment of aristocrats.

"I would never want to kill you." You opened your eyes, your brow furrowing as you peered up into Tyki's face. He was staring down at you. "You said that in a heartbeat... If it was like that, with the Noah inside of me... It's never been like that."

"You say that, but... I can see it in your eyes, Tyki."

"Hmm?"

"That look you get. The position you start to fall into... Like you're ready to attack me."

He chuckled, causing you to shake your head in confusion. "(Y/n)... It's more like...ready to tackle you and have my way with you." Your breath hitched. "I want you so...so _fucking_ bad. It's fun to pin you underneath me. Gnn...that look, (y/n)~" You knew what he was talking about. You could feel that your cheeks were flushed with how hot they were. Your eyes had widened and your eyebrows had started to rise. Your lips were slightly parted, and your breathing was starting to become irregular. You had not realized, despite all your words previous where you had spoken otherwise, you were still so affected by the man.

Tyki cupped your face, drawing your mouth to his. This time you did not break contact. In fact, you slowly started to respond to him. He was the one to pull back, resting his forehead against yours as he continued to hold your face between his hands. "I'll walk you through dinner tonight. It doesn't matter what fork or spoon... It doesn't matter what anyone thinks, you know?"

"You say that so easily, but--"

"You defended me against Paolo, (y/n). Do you not believe I won't do the same for you with everyone else? Hell, you know Sheril's position on us. It _doesn't_ matter." You sighed, closing your eyes and moving closer to him. You wrapped your arms around Tyki and buried your face into his chest. His arms immediately locked onto your as well. You remained in his embrace for as long as you could until he reluctantly stated that the Duke was no doubt waiting. You whispered out an 'okay' and allowed him to pull you onto your feet. Tyki adjusted you so that your arm was in his as he led you back to the carriage. You remained blissfully ignorant of the looks you received from the occupants of the restaurant in which you had stopped.

Duke Millennium glanced up from his knitting when the pair of you reentered the carriage. He did a double-take, curiously watching the way you allowed Tyki to draw you close to his side. The man nodded approvingly then fell back to his work.

Your mind, meanwhile, raced over all you had been through over the past twenty-four hours. You were not sure how you should feel on anything in particular. A part of you still despised that Tyki was a member of the Noah family, that he had committed so many horrible deeds. You once more thought of the hole he had put in Allen Walker's heart. The image of his Noah came to mind as well. The more you thought of such things, the more your heart started to race.

His eyes were on you the entire time. You could feel them. And, though you were not as angry with him as previous, you were not completely over how he had handled you when you had arrived at his brother's home. You shuddered at the thought of Sheril's ability, especially when you remembered the way he had threatened you when he believed you to be male and have feelings for Road. He had not been the least bit pleased that Tyki had been attracted to you; was that only because he had believed you to be male at the time? Or did he dislike you in general?

You gazed out the window of the carriage. The restaurant was in sight. There were numerous nobles present. You could feel your stomach beginning to churn once more. Reaching for Tyki's hand, you squeezed it. The man told you to relax, but you only shook your head. "I can't, S.A.M." Realizing what you had called him, you blinked. Beside you, Tyki had stiffened and made a noise of minute surprise.

The carriage pulled to a complete stop. Duke Millennium exited, stating that he would give you a moment to gather your bearings. Tyki, being your escort, remained behind with you. You eyed the man for several seconds. "Huh?"

"Don't go into a bathroom with me again." His brow furrowed at your accusatory tone. "Our first kiss was in a bathroom...in public. What we did last time...with your mouth...and my hands... That was in a bathroom with people right in the next room."

"This last time I only kissed you."

"Your look said you wanted to do more. What you _said_ was that you want to do more."

Tyki sighed heavily. "I won't deflower you in the bathroom here, (y/n)."

"A bathroom at all!"

"Ah, is that permission for me to deflower in you in a different location?"

Your cheeks heated up. You barked out for him to shut up then turned to peer out the door of the carriage. You felt a little dizzy, however you allowed Tyki to lead you towards the building all the same. You clung tightly to him without drawing too close. There was no need to draw even more stares your way; enough nobles were already openly gawking. It made you self-conscious. Did they know that you were a peasant woman? A cross-dresser? You did what you could to not hyperventilate.

Once inside, you were both led directly to the table at which Minister Kamelot sat with his family and Duke Millennium. The two men stood when you arrived. They remained as such until Tyki had pulled out your chair and you were seated. Their proper etiquette nearly threw you off. You looked to Tyki, who was thankfully sitting directly beside you. Your eyes then fell to the table. You wondered where the menu was. Tyki cleared his throat, whispering that there were only a few choices and that the small menu would be brought shortly. It caused your head to spin.

Road was seated beside her mother, who sipped on some water. Tricia's husband, meanwhile, sampled the wine that was in his flute. Duke Millennium was in the process of adding sugar to his drink. Lots of it. Tyki sighed beside you before turning to the waiter that walked up to the table. He asked what Tyki and the young lady--you--wished to drink. Without faltering, Tyki ordered a wine you knew was notorious for being expensive. Road sipped on her juice as she watched you.

Aware of the girl's gaze, you started to fiddle with your dress. Tyki dropped his hand below the table and drew yours up. It dawned on you that it was improper for you to have your hands so low. You blushed. Duke Millennium tasted his drink, added another lump of sugar, and then took a larger gulp. He observed you with Tyki for several seconds without commenting.

The man soon returned, setting your drink in front of you and Tyki's before him. He asked if the entire party was present. When Minister Kamelot stated that this was so, the waiter handed the menu to him. Sheril took only a few seconds to look at it before selecting his choice. Tricia acted similarly, as did Duke Millennium and Road. The menu was then handed to you. Your heart did a flip. What were you supposed to choose? Feeling dizzy despite not having drank any wine, you tensed your legs.

"U-uhm..." You were out of your league, you told yourself. It was easy to remember how the guard of the Kamelot residence had treated you. Tears brimmed in your eyes. Beside you, Tyki started to reach for the menu. It made you feel like even more of an idiot. Why had you not insisted on remaining behind?

The moment Tyki took the menu from you, you planted your feet firmly against the ground and pressed forward so that you were able to push your chair in that direction. You narrowly avoided hitting the waiter with your seat. Sheril, Duke Millennium and Tyki all scrambled to stand when you did so. You ignored this, immediately darting towards where you knew the bathroom to be located. You rushed inside, pausing upon realizing that there were no stalls. It was a fancy lounge room. You ventured further after a moment's hesitation into the portion that held the toilet.

It was at that second that you heard the door open. You had forgotten to lock it. No; you had not realized that you would lock _that_ door. You looked over your shoulder, freezing when you saw Tyki standing there. Worry was etched over his face.

"I told you not to--"

"Are you alright?" His words cut you off. You stared blankly at him. Mere hours ago this man was throwing you across a hallway. Pinning you down. Scaring the crap out of you. "(Y/n)..."

"I don't belong here. I shouldn't be here."

Tyki leaned against the door, hitting his head on its surface. He did not remove his eyes from you. You ran a hand through the front of your hair, not caring if you messed it up or not. You wrapped your arms around yourself the next moment.

"You shouldn't be here. People will... Oh, fuck... What are they thinking?"

"Relax, (y/n)." You shook your head, turning your back to the man and rushing over to the toilet. You felt so ill, yet all you could do was gag. There was nothing in your stomach. You dry heaved. Sweat was beginning to gather on your body. "Aww....man... Are you okay?"

You shuddered, clutching the edges of the porcelain bowl. Your teeth clattered together noisily. Tyki was close behind you. You pushed away from the toilet and instead leaned against the wall. You cocked your head to the side. The man with whom you had shared your home for several years now was staring down at you with complete worry. You fanned yourself, hoping you were not ruining the dress you were wearing with your stress sweat.

"I've never even heard of those foods."

"Ah... I was...to help you, I--"

You shook your head. "And how many people were watching us? Judging me? They _know_ I don't belong here."

"Why don't you belong here?" You opened your mouth, ready to answer. "No, listen. What makes them any better than you? Money?"

It was your turn to cut him off. "Money. Manners. Blood. Looks. Just... Tyki, it's not like moving a class down or three like you do. I... Just leave me with my little 'hobo' family, as you call it, and I'm fine."

Tyki walked over to you, grabbed your by your upper arms, and pulled you up onto your feet. You winced at his treatment of you. Yanking yourself out of his grasp, you mutttered out that his touch had hurt. He apologized, though he did not release you. Tyki cradled your chin before forefinger and thumb. He lifted upwards so that you were staring straight into his eyes.

"Money doesn't matter. Half those manners are forced and fake. Being born into a privelleged life doesn't make them deserve it more than you. What the _fuck_ do you mean looks?" You jerked away from him, placing a hand over your mouth and shaking your head. Tyki batted your hand away, leaning down and capturing your lips with his. You closed your eyes, clasping onto the front of his shirt. He kissed you in earnest, holding you and making you feel as though you were the most beautiful woman in the entire world. You permitted his tongue entrance when he sought it. Your toes curled in the shoes your wore, and you found yourself panting by the time he drew back. "We...damn... Trying so hard to _not_ have sex with you on this floor...or the counter...or the--"

"Shh, shh," you said, blushing and placing a hand over his mouth. "Stop. I can't even... I feel like I'm going crazy. I'm so mad you still for everything, but... Damn it, Tyki."

"The wine is to help with the nerves."

"Oh, not to get me drunk so that you can take advantage of me?" you snapped with a huff. He blinked slowly at you, a wry grin spreading across his face. "You pervert."

"It wasn't going to be on the bathroom floor~"

"Shut up. You're..." You shook your head, looking towards the door. "I can't go back out there. Everyone is probably thinking we're being inappropriate right now."

"I can give you a few hickeys to keep them entertained. Don't look at me like that; it was a joke." Tyki had drawn your hand up into his, cradling it and slowly leading you towards the door of the bathroom. You followed him, keeping your gaze trained on his eyes. He was quite adept at walking backwards. He did so all the way to the table, where he helped you back into your seat before taking his. Even so, he did not refrain from keeping his eyes locked onto yours. You heard the waiter return, but refused to avert your gaze from Tyki's. Your escort for the night, the man you had fallen in love with, ordered food for the both of you.

"Excellent choice," the man said, the same as he had done with everyone else at the table. He took the menu from Tyki's hand before returning to the kitchen.

"You're okay?" Tyki asked.

You breathed through the moment, pausing for some self-reflection. "N-nope."

"Have this then," he replied, plucking up your wine flute and pressing the rim of the glass against your lips. He tilted it, and you parted your lips enough to take a sip. It was delicious, yet you could easily tell it was also potent. "Better?"

"...it's getting there," you whispered.


	25. Better

Better

Your nerves hardly abated, though you did have to admit to yourself that the wine helped to keep you from completely losing your nerve again. Tyki was also rather attentive to your needs, a fact that both did and did not surprise you. You could feel eyes on you as you ate, however this time you were able to ignore the majority of them. Tyki’s words ran through your head continuously, as did the fact that he normally chose to be with _you_ over the people of his social class. Partway into the meal, you slid your foot closer to his, nudging the edge of his shoe with the toe of yours. Those brown orbs met your face, though he said nothing. You kept your gaze on your plate as you completed this action. Your heart was a racing mess. Blood pulsed in your ears. Perhaps it was just the wine, you told yourself.

 _I can’t possibly ever forgive him…not completely,_ you thought whilst lifting up your fork to your lips. Underneath the table, he also shifted his foot, brushing it against yours. You allowed your eyes to momentarily drift closed. _He said he was protecting Eeze…by not returning. And Road spoke of him not feeling well...of regretting…something. He is doing what he can to keep Eeze safe. Which is such a fucking contradiction._

You slipped the bite of food into your mouth and chewed slowly. Your teeth worked at the meat and vegetable mixture, meanwhile you reached once more for your wine flute. It was nearly emptied, and you were at a loss as to whether or not it would be wise of you to drink more. You largely doubted that Tyki would take advantage of you so completely if you did decide to indulge. The same, however, could not be said for the remainder of his family. You trusted the Noah as far as you could throw them, which was not very far at all.

When the dinner dishes had been cleared away, Tyki had risen from his seat and offered you his arm. Your eyes had immediately darted to the dance floor, apprehension filling you. Tyki chuckled lightly, informing you that he planned on taking you on a stroll through the garden—fresh air would do you good. You knew these sentiments had much to do with the fact that you had decided to indulge in another glass of wine, and so you accepted his generous offer. Your head buzzed as you slipped your arm into his.

The effect the air had on you was immediate. You inhaled deeply, your entire body relaxing. “It was so…stuffy in there.”

“Yeah…it’s like that a lot,” Tyki muttered, his eyes glued on your face as the two of you walked. Your gaze flicked to him before returning to the plants along the trail of the garden. Some were expensive species, imported no doubt. “I told you: there’s a reason I prefer being with you…and Eeze.” You rested your head against his arm. The man tensed, as though fearful that you were unaware of your own actions. “You don’t trust me.”

“Stop scowling, Tyki,” you said softly before humming a single note. “I’m trying. In some ways, I know you _think_ you’re being fair. But you really aren’t. And you’ve lied to me…multiple times.”

You pulled away from him at the sight of a particular plant. Hovering beside the bush, you bent down low and inhaled the scent of the flower. You lifted a hand and trailed your fingertips along the petal. So fragile, this flower. It could be crushed so easily. Drawing back, you turned, looking over your shoulder at the man. It was not often that Tyki dropped his playful teasing; that he was quiet struck you as off. Perhaps, you noted, he _did_ feel guilty for everything he had done.

“It’s all very roundabout—your way of protecting me. Hurting me to keep me from being harmed… It doesn’t make sense to me, Tyki.” You crossed your arms behind your back and rocked on your heels. “I do remember…when I first met Sheril, he terrified me. That was before I knew he was a Noah.”

“One day…I plan on seeing Eeze again—if it’s safe.”

“He… He would like that, you know,” you said, shaking your head and looking once more to the flower. “It scares me, in a way, to think about never seeing you again.” His footsteps echoed in the small area of the garden. Tyki drew closer to you, eliminating any distance between the two of you. He rested a hand on the small of your back. “Sometimes I can almost pretend things are normal between us. Almost.”

“I don’t want the Order to have you,” he blurted out. You groaned, turned in his arm, and rested your forehead against his chest. You balled your hands against the front of his shirt, swearing. “Such language…they’re corrupting you there.”

“It isn’t a joking matter, Tyki.” He muttered something under his breath, along the lines of you being no fun. “I’m…I’m a bit tipsy, you know.”

“I won’t take advantage of you,” Tyki murmured, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

“And that Noah inside of you?” you asked, scrunching your face in distaste. Duke Millennium’s words from earlier rang in your head, the way he had commented on both Tyki and Joyd wanting you. You tilted back your head so that you could peer up into the man’s face. Tyki Mikk’s lips were spread in a wide grin, his amusement anything but hidden. “You would stop…if I asked you to? If I asked him—“

“It’s all me, (Y/n),” he said gently, though that teasing lilt presented itself. “You’re finally relaxing…I’ll play nice~”

“Ty…ki…” This time it was he who hummed, the man quirking a single brow. “I feel… I feel as though I’m playing dress up. It’s all so extravagant, but… _fake_.”

“Do you want to go ho—would you like to leave?”

“Why are you so willing to give up…to give up so much for me? When it comes to such frivolous things such as this. I do… I guess I can’t hold it against you—you wanting to protect your family. The same way I will protect Eeze.” You stared at his throat, at his Adam’s apple, which bobbed as he stood there with you. “I’m human, you know.” He snorted. “Don’t laugh. I’m being serious, Tyki.”

“You’re more than that~” he purred, drawing his arms around you and tugging your body flush against his. You felt your cheeks heating up once more. It felt as though the world were swirling around you. Your mind flashed to the memory of his Noah form, of what you had seen on that footage.

“Do you remember on the dock? After…after everything happened…the first time. Do you remember that?” A grunt of acknowledgement left him. “Could you… could you hold me like that—but with our clothes on completely.”

“Yeah…sure…”

As though neither of you were dressed in expensive clothing, Tyki lowered the two of you to the ground; he pulled you between his legs so that your back was aligned with his front. You rested your head against his chest, inhaled deeply, and looked up towards the night sky. “It’s brighter here…you can’t see the stars as well.” You laughed to yourself. “One part is brighter…the other darker… It’s funny.”

“How?” You snorted when you next laughed, and you knew without looking at him that Tyki was frowning. He was in no way an idiot, however certain aspects of symbolism did easily escape him. “You can be so cruel, (y/n).”

“Don’t be hypocritical, Tyki,” you said, grabbing his arms and wrapping them around your midsection. The man behind you happily obliged in holding you this way. He rested his chin on the top of your head. You traced along the back of his hand with your fingertips. _These hands can go through anything…_ His mouth hovered beside your neck, the man behind you leaning forward and tucking his face there. You seized your bottom lip between your teeth. His lips puckered, a light kiss to your throat.

It was not easy, differentiating the acts of war with the rest of your relationship. Tears stung at the corners of your eyes. You wiped at them, tilting your head so that Tyki had better access to you. Another kiss, just as gentle and cautious as the first. “Don’t go back,” he whispered. “Stay home.” You wondered, for but a moment, what his definition of home was. “With Eeze…I’ll come to you whenever it’s safe.”

“You shouldn’t care about me, Tyki,” you said, your throat feeling rather thick with emotion.

His breath washed over your flesh. “I shouldn’t,” he conceded. Those soft lips on your throat once more. “I do.” His hands were on either of your shoulders, his knees bent, and Tyki was trembling behind you. “I _love_ you, (y/n).”

“Are you in pain?” Your voice was strained once more, which complimented the way his had cracked. Tyki murmured his response. He was not in pain, not exactly. You wondered if it was his Noah, and yet you dared not ask. That, for you, was still as stomach-churning topic. Especially when he was holding you this way, so intimately. As though the two of you had never been in battle with one another. “I… A part of me… I think I love you too…but it’s confusing.

“Do you think… Tyki, I don’t know what to do. I don’t think you’ll let me go…not back to the Order… But I don’t agree with—I don’t want the Noah family to win. If I hadn’t joined the Order, though… Hell, I wouldn’t even know about them, would I?” He grunted, once more answering in the negative. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m still mad at you. Are you really okay with that, Tyki?”

“I don’t want you to be mad, Jules~” he said flirtatiously, his trembling at last abating. “But I understand it. The Duke said… In a way, it’s deserved.” You twisted around, finding his mouth with yours. Tyki grunted then sighed into the kiss, cupping the side of your face with his hand. You wound an arm around his neck.

Things had changed. Things were still the same. It was difficult to tell which way was up and which way was down.

“How do I know you won’t hurt me again? Every time… Every time, you’ve lied, Tyki,” you said breathlessly. Tyki cringed, pulled back, and stared into your face. Your eyes searched his. “If he said to… If the Millennium Earl ordered you to kill me, you would.”

“He wouldn’t do that. He knows how I feel about you.”

“Fine. Then if he ordered one of your family members to then—“

“No. You don’t understand—you’ll be safe. It isn’t as though you’re an Exorcist who has sided with the Innocence. You want to protect your family… That’s something we can all appreciate. Just… You can protect Eeze from home. There are other ways…if you need money…” Your lips parted, your mouth hanging partway open. “You joined for the money, (y/n). It’s…unnecessary danger. You spoke of Eeze…of me disappearing. But you? You’re his cousin. I may not always be the smartest, but…”

“That’s not fair, Tyki.” A smirk from him reminded you that he hardly ever played fair. You released a low noise from your throat. Setting your hands on his chest, you pushed up into a standing position. Tyki moved up along with you, his hands on your hips. He slid one of his hands until he was holding yours, and then the man started walking. You followed along after him, allowing him to lead you deeper into the garden.

In the past you had gone for strolls on the beach with this man. Your mind darted to memories of you with Tyki, Eeze trailing along behind. Sometimes Clark and Momo were there as well. Other times it was just the three of you. Back then, he had not held your hand as he was now. Things had been somewhat different at that time; you had not realized the depths of your feelings for the man. Had he, you wondered, known that he had cared for you back then? All the times he had flirted with you—he flirted with most he met, and yet… In many ways he _had_ always been slightly less crude with you. More apt to back off if you appeared in any way uncomfortable.

 _In such a twisted way, maybe he really does want to protect me,_ you mused. You then thought of those he had killed, those he had hurt. _It’s war… I don’t agree with the side that he’s on… This is war though. It’s ugly. Violent. Bloody. I never even realized exactly **what** I was signing up for…and he tried to warn me._

“I…love you, Tyki.” This time you sounded a little more confident, less reluctant to admit to these feelings. His thumb twitched against your hand. “But…I don’t like Joyd.”

“Why?”

“He kills people.” A snort from him, and yet the man did not argue. No protests whatsoever. “Moreover…He _enjoys_ it.”

“Man, (y/n), you’re toying with me here… I can’t tell if you’re saying you’ll stay or not.”

“Stay? With the Order? Away from the Order? I… I don’t know yet either. I’m trying to weigh both sides. Because…I hate it, but I do get what you’re telling me. And after what The Earl had you do to me… I don’t want to leave Eeze alone like that. But I still don’t know how I feel about this. If… I do love you, but—do I let you go? Do I try to hold onto things with you? I really don’t know what’s best for Eeze, or for me in this case.”

“Well, I promise—“

“You break your promises, Tyki. Just…just stay with me tonight. Like this. It’s nice.”

He had led you to a koi pond, in which there were three of the fish swimming round in circles. You could see your reflection in the water as well, and your eyes alternated between focusing on the koi and how your hand was held by his. Round and round in circles. The fish. Your mind. Your gaze drifted higher, to the part in the reflection where you could see his eyes. They were lighter than usual, though not the yellow you had seen in the past. It was as though the man standing beside you was an even mixture of the Noah and the human inside. This was who you would have to accept, you realized.

“It’s not…a game with you,” Tyki said after another minute of silence had elapsed. You furrowed your brow before you remembered what you had said to him in the past. That things between the two of you had been a game for him. “I heard…both you and the Duke. It isn’t a game. You didn’t ruin it… Everything else was a game—you weren’t. You made it…complicated.”

“I’m…sorry,” you managed to say.

“Yeah… Yeah, me too.” You shifted closer to him, leaning your body into his whilst continuing to watch the koi. “Sorry, (y/n).” So sincere sounding. You squeezed his hand, your heart hiccupping in your chest.

“Now… I think now things are…a little… Just a little bit better, Tyki.”


	26. Pleasure

Pleasure

It was Duke Millennium who had ultimately been the signal that it was time to leave. The man had strolled up to the pair of you; your eyes remained on the koi pond, whereas Tyki looked over his shoulder to address the Noah patriarch. How out of place you felt, being in that garden in that dress. Standing at Tyki’s side, however, you felt oddly comfortable. The carriage ride was less awkward for you than the previous one had been. You were able to sit beside the Noah—as well as across from his familial patriarch—without fidgeting. You stared out the window of the carriage, taking in all the scenery. Since becoming a Finder, you had seen several such views. Still, that did not quite take away the impact it had on you; so many intricate details that you have found frivolous if it was not for the fact that you were enjoying them.

Tyki had wound an arm around you, and you had allowed him to keep his limb there throughout the entire journey. There was a low buzz in the back of your head as you arrived at the mansion, as you mounted the stairs when Duke Millennium asked you to do so. You were led to a small bathroom—large by your standards—where you found a set of pajamas placed on the counter for you to change into. You dressed, brushed your teeth with a toothbrush that had also been provided, and then exited the bathroom.

Rather than be led to a guest bedroom at that point, as you had believed would occur, you were instead taken to Tyki Mikk’s personal room. You hesitated in the doorway upon seeing the man sitting on the edge of his bed. He was shirtless, however thankfully wore pants. His long hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, and those brown orbs were glued on you. You lowered your eyes to the floor, keeping them there as you took the first step forward. This was followed by a second step and then a third. Reminding yourself to breathe every few seconds, you managed to cross the entirety of the room to him. It was when the door to the bedroom closed that you once more raised your gaze to his face.

Tyki lifted up the bed sheets and slipped underneath the covers. He kept the corner lifted, obviously waiting for you to join him. Biting down on your bottom lip, you obliged. Not only did you slide into bed with him, however you also pressed your body close to his. The only light in the room was the lamp on the bedside, and yet it was bright enough to illuminate most of the room. To allow you to see the scars on his body. “It’s not that bad,” he murmured. Your voice caught in your throat, a thick feeling that you could not shake, and so you merely nodded. You placed the palms of your hands on him. The muscles underneath your touch twitched, and Tyki wrapped an arm around you. You met his eyes. “You’re safe here.”

You knew that already, and yet hearing it aloud did bring a weak smile to your face. You curled up against him, your body relaxing and your mind registering just how tired you were. “You’ll keep me safe?”

“Yeah,” Tyki said, winding his body around yours. “I’ll keep you safe. Get some rest.”

“No taking advantage of me?”

A snort, followed by: “No. I won’t. Sleep, (y/n).”

“Okay,” you whispered softly, allowing your eyes to drift closed.

In the morning, you were still in his arms. Tyki was sleeping soundly behind you, a light snore issuing from him. You listened for a few minutes, which you counted off in your head before your mind at last started to wander. Those scars, you thought, looked painful despite what the man had said. You wanted to touch them, to trace them—to erase them. Yet you could not. You did not have that sort of ability, which made you feel so human. So mortal.

How had Tyki felt when the blade had gone through his body? You imagined that, even for a moment, he had felt more human. More mortal—unlike the powerful Noah that resided within.

You set your hand atop his. At some point in the night, you had turned so that your back was to his chest. Otherwise, you would have traced along his scars with your fingertips. As it was, you imagined you would wake him if you tried to turn over. Unless he was in a _very_ deep sleep. With a huff, you decided that you would have to chance waking him regardless; you had to use the bathroom, after all. Tyki merely rolled over onto his other side when you slipped away from him. You smiled tenderly at him, hovering there at the side of the bed for a lingering moment, and then crossed the room towards the door that led to the adjoining bathroom.

You tiptoed back into the bedroom when you were finished. Tyki was still snoring away, which had you shaking your head and laughing a little to yourself. Aside from the extravagance of the room, this reminded you a lot of home. Clark and Momo would perhaps be at work. You were missing Eeze terribly, which caused you to wince. Being a Finder _did_ mean missing so much time with him.

 _Damn you, Tyki,_ you swore. Though in reality he was not the only reason you were having second thoughts about the Order. Fear of your true gender being revealed was playing a large factor. If you were executed because you had lied? Turned away, perhaps forced to pay back every penny they had given you. _But what am I supposed to do? I don’t want to simply abandon my duty._

You carefully climbed onto the bed once more, knelt beside him, and touched the scars on his back. The blade of Innocence had gone through him, clean through. Scarring him. Your touch caused him to grunt. A moment later he rolled over, scooting so that he did not hit into you. You watched one another for several seconds, neither of you reaching for the other though your hand hovered there above him. “Morning,” you said at long last then placed your hand on his chest.

“You look…not happy.”

“Sad?”

“No…just not happy. Not all girls are easy to read, (y/n),” Tyki said, pulling a face that for a moment displayed annoyance. Or perhaps it was frustration at not being able to know exactly what you were thinking. You brushed back some of his hair, sighing deeply. “Oh… You are thinking about it.”

“I’m thinking about a lot of things. What it would have been like if I had never become a Finder mostly. I don’t know if things between us…if I would have ever realized my feelings for you… I would have been so caught up with the idea that you were busily sleeping around…flirting with me to pass the time.”

“So, what? Things would have been worse?” His mouth pulled into a frown. Having no desire to start an argument, you shrugged and made a noncommittal noise. Tyki pushed up into a sitting position, set a hand on your lower back, and leaned forward to kiss you. It was a quick kiss, a simple peck. You swallowed thickly, your lips parting and your breath hitting against his mouth. “It’d be worse? If you never got hurt like that…”

“I don’t know. Some things would be worse…some would be better,” you responded before capturing his lips with your own in an equally quick kiss. “Are you going to deny that?” He frowned rather than commenting. You smiled, sighed, and kissed him once more. “You can’t deny it.”

“Perhaps Eeze was right…I am a bad influence on you… Teasing me—so cruel.” You rolled your eyes at him. His fingers trailed along your arms, and you pressed your teeth against one another. Your heart raced in your chest, your pulse pounding in your ears. Perhaps he sensed the feelings stirring within you; his hands made their way to the hem of your shirt, slipping under and touching your bare belly. Your lips quivered as you sucked in air, your eyebrows rising. Tyki licked his lips, his hands leaving your flesh long enough to seize your shirt and bringing it up over your head. You lifted your arms to assist him, and then crossed them over your naked breasts. “Hey…”

You blinked at the hesitation in his voice, at the way he refrained from touching you again. “I’m…it’s fine…just nervous.” He nodded, allowed another few seconds to pass—perhaps giving you time to change your mind, though you could not say for certain—and then set his hands on your hips. You gulped and stiffened when he tugged your pants down the first few inches. Tyki again paused, his eyes on your face, and waited until you gave him a small nod before ridding you of your bottoms. Covered by only your panties, you pressed your thighs together and glanced at the far wall. “It’s going to hurt, isn’t it?”

“At first…it hurts at first, that’s what I hear,” he said. That he did not speak with that teasing lilt allowed you to know he was taking this seriously, you losing your virginity. “You want to stop?”

“No… Just be gentle. Prom…”

“I won’t break this promise, (y/n). I won’t hurt you—I’ll be gentle.” Despite all the reservations you had in regards to other topics, you knew this was not something he would lie to you about. You felt yourself relaxing the slightest bit, though your limbs were still drawn towards one another. Tyki slipped his thumbs into the sides of his pants, tugging them down so that he wore only his boxers, which were tented. You blushed, remembering well the incident in the bathroom. It was not as though you had never touched him before. And yet…in a way, you thought, this would all be far more intimate.

Your gaze drifting towards the ceiling, you dropped your arms away from your chest and hooked your thumbs into your panties. You drew them down your legs, unable to look at the man across from you as you fully exposed yourself to him. You could hear him swear under his breath, which caused your cheeks to heat up. Rather than focus on stripping himself, Tyki set his hands on either side of you on the mattress, his mouth shifting along your collarbone as he planted light kisses. You tilted back your head and closed your eyes, allowing yourself time to drown in the sensations.

So gentle, so gentle—this man who could kill. You could deny no longer the tenderness he felt towards you. The hesitation every few seconds allowed you to see that he did _not_ wish to hurt you in any way.

So ugly, so terrible—this war that was being waged. It was tearing the two of you apart from one another. “What would happen if the Noah won—would I just die?”

His breath hitched, and he angled his body away from yours. The wide-eyed expression on his face told you nothing, other than perhaps he hadn’t thought it completely through. Typical Tyki, you thought with a bittersweet smile.

“You don’t know, do you?” You moved forward, crawling onto his lap and straddling him. Bending your neck, you rested your forehead on his shoulder and inhaled his scent. “If I had never become a Finder…I wouldn’t even be worried about this. Maybe you were right.” As you spoke, the man was rubbing circles on your back with his hands. Your bare chest was pressed against his, which drew from you a shudder. “But this is fine, too.”

“Is it?” He did not sound entirely convinced. By way of response, you slipped a single finger into his boxers, hooking the digit and then withdrawing so that the band snapped back into place. Tyki sighed, helping you off of him so that he could finish undressing. You watched his face the entire time, and he stared at you in return. Whilst tossing his boxers over the edge of the bed, Tyki reached towards your face with his other hand, cupping your cheek. You leaned into his touch. “Are you sure?”

“As long as you don’t tell me to call you Joyd.” It was his turn to snort, and you were beyond thankful that the Noah of Pleasure had a good sense of humor. He grinned at you, winding his left arm around your body so that he could ease you down into a laying position. He hovered over you, the lower half of his body touching yours while he kept his torso propped up by positioning his hands on the bed. You could feel his hardening cock touching you, pressing into you. Breathing through your nose, you listened to the puffs of air that were leaving you on every exhale. “S-so…you just…you know… Put it in?”

Tyki’s grin widened into a size nearly inhuman, and his chest shook as he laughed. “Damn… I sometimes forget you’re still naïve despite all your…traveling.” He licked his lips, wetting them as he considered you. “I gotta prepare you first…so that it hurts less. Just relax…and tell me if you don’t like anything.” He added the final portion as an afterthought, his mouth twitching and eyes narrowing. You nodded, squirming under him when the man started to slide down your body. He placed wet kisses from your throat to your breasts, which he lapped at. His tongue swirled around your nipple, and you felt your body responding to him. It felt so hot, and you could feel yourself growing wet as well. You curled your toes, bunched the blankets underneath your hands, and forced yourself to stare up at the ceiling. “Hey, now… Don’t just lie there like that~” You lowered your gaze, finding that Tyki had rested his chin on the valley between your breasts. He smiled lazily at you, turned his head, and kissed your breast. “It’s like having sex with a corpse.”

“You’ve had sex with dead bodies!?” you exclaimed, jerking upwards a few inches. Tyki ran a hand across his forehead and through his hair. “Oh…okay…just….just an expression.”

“You’re so nervous,” he muttered, caressing your hip. “You’re worried about the pain.”

“Y-yeah… And…you know…just…losing my virginity in general.” Tyki nodded, as though he truly did understand exactly what it was you were feeling. “Uhm… Is it going to be like…when you…uhm…used your mouth?”

“I was gonna do that, yeah. Help you relax…Use my fingers this time too. To stretch you. We’ll take our time.”

“Oh…okay…that sounds…yeah…” Tyki nodded and then resumed his previous activity of fondling your chest. This time you watched him, and even shifted one of your hands to the back of his head. You trailed your fingers through his hair, chewing on your bottom lip as you tried to push away all nervousness. Tyki crawled down your body, burying his face between your legs. You lifted your hands to your face; one limb covering your mouth while the other was with its fingers splayed across the entirety of your countenance. You held your breath at the familiar sensation of his tongue tracing along your folds. “Nn…”

“Don’t hold back,” he whispered, his breath hot on your cunt. You swallowed thickly, made yourself open your legs further for him, and released a light moan when his mouth sealed around you. Tyki groaned as he suckled at you, his fingers prodding near your entrance without quite entering you. You tensed, only to relax again. He lapped and sucked at his finger before pressing that first digit inside of you. You winced at the intrusion, hissing at the stretch when a second finger joined in. He offered you words of encouragement between kissing and lapping at your clit. You were a trembling mess, pain giving way to pleasure as you wet around him.

It was as you were relaxing that he began to thrust those fingers in and out of you. Your jaw dropped at the way he was stroking something inside of you, and your eyes were impossibly wide. His tongue danced between the two digits, entering you and stretching you all the more. It was slightly uncomfortable, though not painful; he was being too gentle for any pain to set in. You caught yourself holding your breath once more as he wormed a third finger into you. Scrunching up your nose, you grit your teeth and grabbed at the bedding to keep from reaching down and pulling at his hair.

“Shh, shh,” he said, no doubt feeling how tense you were becoming. “You okay?”

“Fine!” you nearly shouted, hissing out the word a little more harshly than you intended. “Just…feels…weird…”

“Does it hurt?”

“Not exactly,” you said, sighing when he adjusted the angle at which he was pushing his fingers in and out of you. “That…that’s a lot better, actually.”

“That’s good…I want you to enjoy this~” You nodded despite the fact that he would not see the gesture. Tyki removed his fingers from you, climbing up your body once more and settling between your legs. He did nothing to push into you, opting instead to nuzzle your cheek and give you a multitude of kisses. You turned your face so that your mouth could meet his. Tyki rested a hand on your cheek, his thumb drawing a line back and forth on your flesh as he lowered his other hand down to line himself up with your entrance. You jumped at the feel of the head of his cock touching you, beginning to press up into you. “Relax, relax,” he said, though he waited in case you decided to change your mind. You gave a tentative nod for what seemed to be the hundredth time that morning, and Tyki started to move into you. You clutched at his shoulders, your nails digging into his flesh. He merely grunted; you knew if it became a nuisance, he could choose for your nails to go through him.

When he was fully inside of you, Tyki continued to caress your cheek while he started to also rub your lower back. Your vaginal walls clenched, as though trying to both push him away and tug him further inside of you. Discomfort. Slight pressure. A fullness—your body growing used to having him inside of you. You tilted back your head, shuddering when he rolled his hips for the first time. A quiet moan slipped past your lips the second time. You sloppily moved against him as well, and he allowed you to set the pace, the man whispering words—such compliments, sometimes saying only your name so lovingly.

“Tyki,” you moaned breathlessly as his body undulated against yours, with yours. His mouth found yours, the man swallowing another of yours moans as he kissed you, his tongue soon invading your mouth. You wrapped your arms around his neck, drawing him ever closer while also hooking one of your legs around his hip. This allowed him to move more deeply inside of you, stroking something that had you nearly incoherent with pleasure. A delicious pressure built up inside of you, a sort of dam that continued to build and build with every one of his thrusts. You whimpered, panting underneath him as he raised himself up onto his knees. He bucked his hips into yours, quickening the pace. Swears left both his lips and yours, followed by moans and grunts. The two of you looked at where your bodies were connected, and you found yourself suddenly drowning in pleasure, your inner walls clenching and unclenching, pulsating all around him as you were brought to orgasm.

 

Tyki swore once more, moaning out your name the next second as he spilled his seed into you. He rode out his orgasm, remaining inside of you until at last he fully softened. When he did at last pull out, Tyki moved onto his back and drew your body to his so that you were lying on your side facing him. You rested your head on his arm and stared at his face; the both of you were still breathing more heavily than normal.

“That was…I liked it, Tyki,” you whispered.

He blinked roughly three times before quirking a brow. “I, uh, would hope so.” As he spoke, he was reaching for the bedside table. You said nothing as the man lit a cigarette, which he placed between his lips. Blowing out a puff of smoke, Tyki looked up at the ceiling. “I want to keep you safe.”

“You have horrible timing…but…I know…” You reached for the lighter that was in his hand, tossing it back onto the bedside table the next moment. “I was thinking of…talking to Eeze. I joined to help him…he should have a say. It isn’t about what you want me to do…or even what _I_ want me to do. Eeze is my responsibility…I want to do what’s best for him.”

“Man…fine…”

“I love you, Tyki.” With a grunt, he repeated the phrase, tilting his head so that it rested atop yours while he smoked. “Such a bad habit.”

“Hey now…don’t start complaining about this.”

“You’re getting…it’s getting all over the sheets…and me.”

“Huh…” He adjusted his grip on the cigarette, and you smiled. “So…you don’t think I’m a monster?”

“…no… I don’t know if I ever fully did.”

“That’s good…that’s good… Having a monster in your bed is a bad idea~”

“Why…why the _hell_ did I just…with you… Don’t ruin this, Tyki! It was…beautiful.” You could feel him smiling against you, and accepted his sudden silence as a sign of pleasure.


	27. Decision of Trust

Decision of Trust

Your mind was restless machine as you laid there, naked, with Tyki. He had long since finished the first cigarette and had moved onto a second. You frowned at his habit, while at the same time you did not truly care one way or the other if he smoked. The smell of his cigarette reminded you a bit of home. Your heart stuttered at the very thought; of memories of Eeze flashing through your head. You wondered if he had grown any more. There was much you were missing by being away in the Black Order. Though you had taken the job to help ensure his future, you were wondering if Tyki wasn’t right after all; perhaps there were other things you could be doing instead.

This caused you to wonder the consequences of your choice to join the Black Order as a Finder despite being female. What was the punishment that you would be forced to endure if they found out? Not if, your mind shot as you grimaced, but _when_. You held back a groan, having no desire for Tyki to pry, as you knew he would if you made any noise of distaste.

“I will need to find a way to travel back home,” you stated when at last you were able to calm yourself enough to prevent the man from knowing where your thoughts had wandered. He released a grunt. “The Order may already believe I was killed…or who knows. I don’t know if they’ll send anyone to find me. It isn’t as though I’m an Exorcist.”

He hummed again, a noncommittal sound that had you frowning. Rather than stick to the topic you had introduced, the man made a comment about breakfast being served in his room. You rolled your eyes and held your tongue. An akuma would be serving the food, you figured; someone died—two people died, you reminded yourself, thinking of the soul bound to machine of the Earl and the flesh of the creature’s first kill—and now they were acting as maids and servants. You huffed, and at last stated your distaste when you could keep quiet no longer.

“You’re not easy to please sometimes,” Tyki said, though there was nothing malicious in his words or tone. The man smiled warmly at you, patted your side, and continued. “Do you want to make breakfast then? The kitchen is pretty big.”

“I would prefer it to the alternative,” you admitted.

He rose from bed, and you watched as the man crossed the room towards the closet. He started to rummage through everything, drawing out two shirts—you blushed at the idea of wearing one of his shirts in such a manner; it was all intimate—and pants for himself. You pressed your legs together. Surely he did not intend for you to walk around with no bottoms? Tyki grabbed hold of a pair of boxers and then a second. Biting down on your bottom lip, you figured that this was something you could handle…so long as no one saw you. You were far from fond of his family despite your feelings for the man himself.

In the kitchen, Tyki sat on a high stool he had brought in so that he could watch you cook. He had his elbows propped up on the countertop of the island, his chin resting in his hands. You could see, in your peripheral, the ghost of a smile that never quite left his face. It caused your cheeks to heat up. Fondness, you well knew, was what he was feeling. Perhaps love, as he claimed to feel for you. _I love him as well,_ you thought to yourself, cracking another egg and mixing it in the bowl. Omelets would be easy enough to make with the ingredients that were available. Biscuits as well. Given what you were accustomed to eat, the available ingredients would allow for multiple banquets.

“You’re so spoiled here. I really don’t see how you manage to survive when you’re with us,” you said light-heartedly.

“I eat koi sometimes,” he quipped. You rolled your eyes at that, wondering just how many he had consumed. The fish were rather expensive after all. “Besides, food isn’t all you need to survive.”

“Sometimes you really know what to say,” you said, looking at him with a wide grin. He smirked in return, dropping one of his arms and allowing it to dangle. The fact that he was so relaxed nearly lulled you into thinking you were back home with him. The absence of Eeze and the size of the kitchen, however, did not allow for such thoughts to fully form. “It…really is the sort of thing I need to speak with him face-to-face about.” Tyki did not say anything in protest, merely hummed knowingly. Perhaps he was simply trying to bite his tongue to keep an argument from happening, you thought. Either way, you liked that the mood was not soured.

You began cooking the omelets, adding to yours what you enjoyed and doing the same with Tyki’s. Not that the man was picky, which made your job rather easy. The comfortable silence persisted throughout this all, until after you had plated the food. It was then that he spoke, uttering out a quick thanks before taking a bite. You cut into your omelet with the side of your fork, stabbed the piece, and slowly raised the bite to your lips. Blowing on the steaming food, you found yourself wondering if it was due to his abilities as a Noah that he heat of some food never appeared to both him. If he did not want to be scalded, he wouldn’t be—but did that mean he wasn’t able to taste the food either? The question remained on the tip of your tongue; you refused to speak it aloud, to open the door for more conversation regarding the Noah.

“This is good,” he mumbled between bites. You thanked him, your eyes never leaving his face. “Hmm? What?”

“I…like this. It feels so fake, knowing the truth. But…I do see the appeal.”

“Just…” Tyki cringed, gritting his teeth and wrinkling his nose. “Man, just talk to Eeze.” He did not want you to be mad at him, to accuse him of pushing too hard.

“We both know what he’ll say.” It was one of the reasons you had never fully given your younger cousin an option. He would not want you to leave. There was other work, closer to home. Even if it did not pay as well… “Or maybe he’ll be conflicted.” You sighed, took another bite, and looked in the direction of the window. From out it you could see a part of the garden. “Before I leave…can we go for another walk?”

“Sure,” he said pleasantly. The two of you finished your meal, you washed the dishes despite Tyki’s protests, and then you hooked an arm into his. His eyes sweeping over your state of dress, the man seemed to almost hesitate prior to leading you towards the door.

Even from the garden, you could tell the moment the household awoke. There was bustling about that could be heard coming from the mansion. You glanced in the direction of the building, sighed to yourself, and leaned your head against the man’s arm. The entire time, you could feel Tyki’s gaze on you. A small, paranoid part of you wondered if he was assessing you as an enemy. He was a Noah and you were a Finder—unless you chose to abandon your position. Your thumb trailed up and down on his arm. It felt natural to be this close to him, though at the same time your heart felt as though it occasionally hiccupped in your chest. Your mind darted to the instances in which he had betrayed you. Hurt you, both physically and emotionally. You thought, too, of the Noah within him, the one you had seen on the video. Monstrous.

With a shudder, you forced your mind to go a different route. Memories of the previous night filled your head. He had been gentle with you, playful in his own way as well. Almost as though there was no monster in him.

You were not an Exorcist, you thought to yourself; there was so little you could do to stop him even if ever came down to that. Finders were disposable in ways you believed no human should be. Pawns for the Black Order. You were replaceable to them, and yet to Tyki… In strange and violent ways you could hardly understand, he did what he could to protect you. It was due to this that you knew he cherished you. Despite his family. Despite everything, really.

“I don’t…think I need to talk to Eeze,” you murmured. The man beside you hummed. You paused in your steps, he doing likewise, and then tilted your head back so that you could look him in the face. “If there is a safe way you can ensure… If there is a way I can leave the Order, to stop being a Finder…without them coming after me, that is… I’ll do it. But I don’t want anyone to be hurt, Tyki.”

Tyki slipped his hand along your lower back until he was able to rest it on your hip. You let him tug you ever closer, the man stating that he would think of something—or else ask the Duke for help. You held back a wince at the thought. If it meant no one was hurt, however, you would accept the Millennium Earl’s aid in this instance. It had nothing to do with bringing anyone back from the dead, no sort of deal being formed. Given that he was a part of Tyki’s family, you decided that you would weather his presence for the time being. As little as possible, though when necessary… You could do it, you told yourself.

“No one is hurt or killed, Tyki,” you said once more. Tyki rubbed his chin, muttering again, though this time you did not quite catch his words. He seemed to be falling into thought. You knew he would respect your wishes—the man would not hurt you like that, not again; not after what the two of you had experienced with one another the previous night. “I trust you.”

Those words caused him to pull your body against his. You felt him rest his chin on the top of your head. The embrace was comfortable, natural. Your eyelids drifted closed, and you wondered why the two of you had never been this way sooner. Your arms encircled him as well, hands clutching at his shirt to keep him there. He was not a Noah, not Joyd. Just Tyki Mikk. Your Tyki.

“Swear that you won’t just disappear when I stop being a Finder,” you whispered. He laughed, his body shaking as he did so. “It’s not… I mean it, Tyki.”

“I won’t disappear…forever.”

“What do you mean?” you asked, feeling as though your heart had skipped a beat, as though a cold hand had touched the organ. You tilted back your head so that you could look him in the face.

His lips twisted into that familiar, teasing grin. “I’m still healing. Won’t be able to see you yet~” he said with that lilt of his.

“Then call me… Not every day. But—“

“I’ll call~” Tyki lowered his mouth until it was hovering just before yours. His breath washed over your lips, causing your eyelids to flutter. He kissed you then, a brief meeting of lips. “Not everyday though.” You snorted, leaned forward, and rested your forehead on his chest gently so as to not aggravate his wound. “Did you really think I would spend all this time on you then disappear?”

“Well…we did have sex…and as naïve as you think I am, I know—“

“Not with you,” he said quietly, his arm twitching, tugging you impossibly closer. You released a shaky breath, whispering the words _I love you_ to him. “I love you too, (Y/n)~” A pause, and then the teasing again. “Or is it Julian? Jules?”

“Tyki…you’re…you’re impossible.” He chuckled, his thumb running up and down along your hip.

*********

After returning to Tyki’s room following your stroll through the garden, you dressed in clothing that was better suited to your frame. The outfit had been laid upon the bed, a meager thing that was much like what you were accustomed to wearing when you were at home. It did not surprise you in the least that the intention was for you to return home; clearly that was what the Duke himself desired. Or perhaps his desires were merely to fulfill Tyki’s wishes. That was the sort of family bond they had, which was indeed similar to the one you had with Eeze.

These similarities nearly caused you to shudder. Accepting that the Noah were human was still difficult for you. Once more were you wishing that you had never learned of their existence, yet at the same time you were thankful for the knowledge. “This is still so overwhelming,” you admitted to Tyki when the man had also finished dressing. “Trying to…return to being just… Trying to move on from the war?”

“You’ll adjust,” he said, the lilt absent from his voice. You turned around, facing him in full. His eyes were wandering up and down your frame. There was something almost somber about him, his mood. “I won’t forget to call.”

“Oh… I was worried that you were thinking about something else,” you said, feeling your chest deflate. His concerns were of you, and that allowed you to once more feel better about your decision—not that, in truth, you had much of one. The Noah patriarch had made it all too clear that he would not allow you to continue with the Black Order by keeping you for the dinner engagement. The outfit, likewise, had been confirmation. “He seems to be so many steps ahead in everything.”

“The Duke?” Tyki asked, his frame once more relaxed. You briefly wondered if he was going through waves of pain, that scar of his in your mind’s eye. You nodded in response to his inquiry. “I told you, he’ll know what to do~”

“That’s…not exactly what you said, Tyki.” Your lips twisted into a smile as you shook your head at him. You became more thoughtful the next moment. “I wonder if I’m even going to learn the plan…whatever it is he has in mind.”

“Probably will,” your companion said dismissively. “You…don’t look okay, (Y/n).”

“Well… I just lost my virginity…and everything about my life is up in the air now. I won’t see you for…who knows how long? It’s… It’s a lot to take in, Tyki.” He closed the distance between the two of you, wrapped his arms around you, and tugged your body against his. You closed your eyes, relaxing into the embrace. “I’m scared that this is just another promise you’re going to break.” You could feel him flinch at your words, and yet you did not feel guilty for speaking them aloud. There was no point in denying all that had occurred between the two of you, both the good and the bad.

“I won’t disappear,” he said, sounding quite like he was whining due to the fact that you were so skeptical. You relaxed further against him. “It’s to protect Eeze—I’ve never broken _that_ promise.”

“I know,” you admitted. “In a lot of ways, I do know…and I appreciate it, Tyki. I just…don’t trust your family.” The man chuckled. “I mean, he did say… He said he would not hurt you by hurting me, so… It’s others that I worry about.”

“Don’t~” Tyki said, sounding rather chipper. You sighed, grimaced, and forced yourself to nod. You would, just this one time, trust the Earl of Millennium.


	28. He's a Keeper

He’s a Keeper

You stood at the kitchen sink, and you discovered that your mind was wandering back to the mansion in which you had stayed for that short duration. It had been so fancy, however _this_ was where you truly felt at home. Such a strange feeling, being home and not worrying about how much time was left before your leave ended. Eeze, Clark, and Momo had all been ecstatic to see you home, to learn that you would no longer be working for the Black Order. Currently they were at work, else you expected you would have been bombarded with more of their mirth. Not that it was a bad thing, their joy; you were simply overwhelmed in a lot of respects. Looking for a small job, yet finding that nothing gave you the same thrill that being a Finder had.

Not that you had been in it for the thrills, you reminded yourself. It was simply that everything was too mundane when compared with all you had been involved with. You had mentioned this to Tyki when he had called the previous evening. The man had whispered words that had caused you to blush and turn so that none of your housemates could see your face. It was nothing vulgar, though there was a certain undertone that promised your next reunion would have the two of you naked and alone together. You wanted to be in his arms right then, even as you were speaking your thoughts. You had had to be careful in order to prevent Clark, Momo or Eeze from knowing the entirety of the situation.

Which was why he had called again that morning after he was certain the three had left. You spoke more with him, commenting on the Duke’s plans for making it appear that “Julian” had died. The Black Order would not be looking for you. Not that you didn’t feel guilty; your comrades would be mourning you—and you felt _horrid_ about that. Yet this way meant that they would not be placed in harm’s way. Them not knowing the truth was better for _everyone_. In the long run, at least.

You had just hung up the phone with him before moving over to the sink. The breakfast dishes needed to be done, and yet you found your mind wandering. Tyki had told you to not rush things, to not worry about getting a job right away. Try to get back into the swing of home life first. He had never been book smart; the man was brilliant when it came to other things. And this was one such situation in which he was absolutely correct.

Still…

You began to fill the sink with water and soap, grabbed out the sponge, and stacked the dishes in the order you planned on washing them. _Go through the motions,_ you reminded yourself, though it was Tyki’s voice you heard in your head. This allowed you the opportunity to smile. You did enjoy being home, doing bookwork with Eeze and ensuring that your younger cousin did not neglect his studies. In many ways, you were more thrilled to do this than ever you had been working as a Finder. Dishes, on the other hand, were boring.

Which was funny; you realized that you had never considered them _boring_ before. It had been a passive task, one that had instilled with you no identifiable emotion or sensation.

“Ah well,” you said, scrubbing the plates, rinsing and then stacking them to dry. The pots and pans were last. “I’ll get used to it. I know I will.”

_Two Months Later_

You startled from your position at the stove. Looking over your shoulder, you found that you were not the only one looking in the direction of the door. Clark, Momo, and Eeze were also eyeing the opening door. The former two were starting to rise. Only to pause and release noises of confusion and surprise. You felt as though your heart skipped a beat, your breath hitching.

“W…welcome…home…S.A.M.”

Tyki Mikk smiled sloppily at you. His hair was longer still, pulled back into a ponytail His bang sloppy. Those unnecessary glasses on his face. He had not informed you that he would be visiting. The phone calls had been less frequently recently, and you had chalked it up to meaning he was doing work for the Earl, or else that he was going through waves of pain. The latter had worried you as much as the former. You always did what you could to not think about his work as a Noah.

“I didn’t make enough for you…you should have called,” you teased. Tyki walked directly over to you, looking over your shoulder at the food. You waved a hand to dismiss him. “Go shower. You smell.”

“Geez, (Y/n). So mean.” You smiled, hearing the lilt in his voice. It was refreshing to hear it in person rather than over the phone. Tyki pressed his lips to the side of your head, and then moved away from you.

As the man went towards the shower, you looked over at your cousin. Eeze had perked up upon seeing how Tyki was acting with you. He had always liked him, you reasoned.

“It’s a good thing you found him, you know,” you said to Eeze.

He laughed. “You’re going to keep him?”

You eyed the door to the bathroom. “Yeah… I think I’ll keep him.”


End file.
